President Donald Trump of the United States of America, on Sunday, approved a $900 billion coronavirus relief package for all Americans which brought to end the spat between his presidency and Congress on the issue.
The initial threat by the US leader to veto the Congress on the matter had triggered panic in Washington, particularly after Trump failed to sign the legislation for days. The government was expected to shut down on Tuesday if the president had not signed the bill yesterday. .
The measure extends the expanded jobless benefits into March, but millions are expected to lose a week of benefits covering these people due to Trump’s delay in signing the bill. Unemployed Americans eligible to receive a $300 weekly supplement will also get the additional money later than they could have.
The government would have shut down Tuesday during a deadly pandemic if Trump did not approve the legislation.
The president had described the bill a “disgrace” claiming he opposed the bill because it fell short of his expectation. Trump said he preferred $600 rather than $2,000 direct payments to most Americans, and because the $1.4 trillion government spending portion of the package included foreign aid money.
A statement by the White House said the Senate would also “start the process for a vote that increases checks to $2,000,” while most Republican Senators opposed larger direct payments.
Meanwhile, United States’ Speaker of the House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, said President Trump needed to speak with top Republicans if he’s sure of pushing the COVID 19 package beyond $900 billion.
The package includes a 3-month $300 per week financial assistance for some unemployed Americans. Other categories of Americans will also get $600, while $600 has been added to every child’s package.
