Key Figures of the COVID-19 Crash
Jerome Powell
Fed Chair during the crash, Powell led the Fed's rapid emergency response, including slashing rates to near zero and launching open-ended asset purchases within weeks of the market's initial plunge.
Congress and the CARES Act
Congress passed the roughly $2 trillion CARES Act in late March 2020, one of the largest fiscal stimulus packages in U.S. history, providing direct payments, expanded unemployment benefits, and business support.