Hey there, it's the NPR Politics Podcast.

I'm Susan Davis.

I cover Congress.

I'm Kelsey Snally, I also cover Congress.

And I'm Tamer Keith.

I cover the White House.

And it is currently 4 p.m. on Friday, March 13th, and President Trump is still speaking

at the White House, but we want to get into what they are announcing today.

The federal government is stepping up its response to the coronavirus crisis, and President

Trump is declaring a national emergency.

To unleash the full power of the federal government that this effort today, I am officially

declaring a national emergency to very big words.

Tam, what does a national emergency mean, and what is it going to do to combat the spread

of the virus?

We don't know the exact mechanisms that the President is using to do this, but what we do

know is that he says $50 billion in federal assistance will be able to go to state and

local governments who are overwhelmed by the coronavirus.

It will also allow things like FEMA to come in and help build tents outside of hospitals

for treating patients in areas where there's just an overload of people.

In some ways, this is getting ahead of where it is right now, but the idea is to be ready

for when more cases come.

And also, it lifts some of the regulatory burdens.

...