US Donald Trump signs an economic aid plan after blocking it for several days – US and Canada – International

Under pressure from lawmakers from all over and nearly a week behind, President Donald Trump finally ratified the new aid plan for the US economy this Sundaythe White House announced, providing benefits to millions of citizens fighting the pandemic and crisis.

(In Context: Trump’s Resistance to Relief Plan Leaves Millions Unaided)

The package, which “provides emergency relief for the coronavirus and provides emergency relief,” with a $ 900,000 million donation, is part of broader legislation that, with Trump’s signature, will prevent the government from closing. shut down from next Tuesday.

“I sign this bill to restore unemployment benefits, stop evictions, provide rental assistance, add money to the corporate credit program, put our airline workers to work, add significantly more money for the distribution of vaccines, and much morethe president said in a statement from his residence in Mar-a-Lago, Florida, where he spends the Christmas vacation.

The change came after a day marked by calls from all political fields to prevent social and economic disaster, especially for the most vulnerable population.

Two federal unemployment benefit programs approved in March as part of the original plan to assist in the face of the crisis triggered by the Covid-19 pandemic, which ended at midnight on Saturday. 12 million Americans leave out, as estimated by the progressive think tank The Century Foundation.

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The stimulus package, approved by Congress on Dec. 21, will extend those subsidies, as well as others that expire in the coming days.

For days, Trump refused to sign it, even calling it a “shame,” and surprised both Republicans and Democrats with his criticism, which came after months of complex negotiations.

Influential Republican Senator Mitt Romney said he was “relieved” by the signing. “Aid is now on its way to workers, families and small businesses across the country who are in desperate need,” he wrote on Twitter.

Previously, Romney had urged the president to “immediately sign or veto the Covid-19 aid package so Congress can act before it is too late.”

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Crucial relief

In his statement this Sunday, Trump continued to insist that checks intended for taxpayers in the greatest financial difficulties be raised to more than three times the initially negotiated $ 600. He again criticized that the plan included spending too much on programs unrelated to the pandemic.

However, he did not say why he waited for the text to be approved to make his position public.

The new stimulus package extends federal aid for the unemployed through mid-March and provides guaranteed loans and billions of dollars in aid to small businesses, restaurants, hotels, airlines and other businesses.

It also extends moratoriums on evictions for people who cannot pay their rent, suspends foreclosures and provides funds for the distribution of Covid-19 vaccines.

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This aid is essential to the largest economy in the world, badly affected by the restrictions adopted to stop the spread of the coronavirus.

“I applaud the president’s decision to divert billions of dollars in crucial COVID-19 aid into the hands of American families,” tweeted Mitch McConnell, Republican Senate leader.

Democratic Speaker of the House of RepresentativesNancy Pelosi called the bill “a taste of what it takes to destroy the virus, putting money in Americans’ pockets and honoring our heroes. “

AFP

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