WASHINGTON—House lawmakers worked late into the evening Thursday on legislation to respond to the COVID-19 outbreak. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said they will likely vote on Friday on an economic stimulus package that will provide free coronavirus testing along with sick pay and other measures for affected workers. The Senate is in recess, but Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said he would bring back lawmakers to vote on the legislation.

The presidential campaign has taken up most of the political spotlight in the past few months, but the battle to control the Senate is perhaps just as significant. It will determine whether the next president can stock the judiciary with his picks and push his legislative agenda or whether he will have to contend with an obstructionist majority.

The stock market tumbled again on Thursday. The COVID-19 outbreak continues to disrupt the American economy despite an effort from President Donald Trump to calm investor’s fears on Wednesday. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell Thursday by more than 2,000 points, triggering a temporary halt in trading.

WASHINGTON—Federal law enforcement will keep its ability to conduct secret surveillance for national security purposes, but Congress will have more oversight of the process under a bill the House passed on Wednesday. Lawmakers voted 278-136 to reauthorize and reform the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) court process. The bill enhances penalties for those who abuse FISA courts for political reasons. It also requires the attorney general to personally approve requests to monitor government officials.

Stock markets sank again Wednesday despite some recovery the day before. Politicians on both sides of the aisle are looking at measures to blunt the new coronavirus’s economic drain. President Donald Trump on Tuesday pitched a payroll tax cut to Senate Republicans. House Democrats, meanwhile, are working on a stimulus package that would ensure unemployment insurance and sick pay for workers.

After pulling off victories in Idaho, Michigan, Mississippi, and Missouri on Tuesday, former Vice President Joe Biden invited supporters of Bernie Sanders to back him instead. “There’s a place in our campaign for each of you. I want to thank Bernie Sanders and his supporters for their tireless energy and their passion,” Biden said. “We share a common goal, and together we’ll beat Donald Trump.” Sanders won the North Dakota caucuses on Tuesday, while the race in Washington state was too close to call.

Turnout in Washington state’s primary election may take a hit from the coronavirus outbreak. Voters are also headed to the polls in Idaho, Michigan, Mississippi, and Missouri, and North Dakota will caucus on Tuesday.