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- US President Donald Trump has finally signed the coronavirus relief bill.
- Trump caused chaos when he threatened to block the bill.
- The bill will provide critical assistance to Americans and prevent a government shutdown.
President Donald Trump on Sunday enacted a $ 2.3 trillion pandemic aid and spending package, which restored unemployment benefits for millions of Americans and averted the shutdown of the federal government in a crisis that he himself provoked.
LIVE | All the latest coronavirus updates and lockdown
Trump, who leaves office on January 20 after losing the November election to President-elect Joe Biden, backed down from his earlier threat to block the bill, which was approved by Congress last week after which came under intense pressure from lawmakers on both sides.
The Republican president, who played golf on Sunday and remained out of the public eye even as the government crisis loomed, had demanded that Congress change the bill to increase the size of stimulus checks for struggling Americans. from $ 600 to $ 2000 and also cut some other expenses.
It was not immediately clear why Trump, who has refused to acknowledge Biden’s defeat, changed his mind about the stimulus package. His resistance had threatened to inject more chaos into the final stretch of his presidency.
READ | Millions lose benefits because Trump refuses to sign aid bill
After signing the bill behind closed doors at his beachside club, Trump sought to put his best face on his descent, saying he was signing the bill with “a strong message that makes it clear to Congress that the articles wasteful must be eliminated. “
“Much more money is coming,” he insisted in a statement, although he did not provide anything to back up this promise.
Immediate support is urgently needed
And with less than a month in office, Trump is expected to gain little to no traction with lawmakers to make changes.
White House officials have been quiet about Trump’s thinking, but a source familiar with the situation said some aides had urged him to give in because they saw no point in refusing.
Democrats have long agreed to the $ 2,000 payments, but many Republicans have opposed it, so the figure is unlikely to be revised up while Trump is in office.
Many economists agree that financial aid in the bill should be higher to get the economy moving again, but say the lockdown is still urgently needed for Americans affected by the coronavirus.
Unemployment benefits paid to roughly 14 million people through pandemic programs expired Saturday, but will restart now that Trump has signed the bill.
The package includes $ 1.4 trillion in spending to fund government agencies. Had Trump not signed the legislation, it would have started a partial government shutdown on Tuesday that would have put the incomes of millions of government workers at risk.
Americans are going through a bitter Christmas season amid a pandemic that has killed nearly 330,000 people in the United States, with a daily death toll now repeatedly exceeding 3,000, the highest since the beginning of the pandemic.
The aid package also expands a moratorium on evictions that was due to expire on Dec. 31, updates support for small business payroll, provides funding to help schools reopen, and aid for the transportation and distribution industry. vaccinations
‘Chaos and misery and erratic behavior’
Global stock prices rose in response to news that Trump had signed the stimulus plan and pulled out of a public spending crisis.
Trump’s abrupt decision to sign the bill came after a majority of Republican lawmakers refused to back his call for changes to the legislation they had already voted on.
Hours earlier, Republican Sen. Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania said Fox News Sunday Trump wants “to be remembered for advocating for big checks, but the danger is that he will be remembered for chaos, misery and erratic behavior if he allows this to expire.”
Republican officials were relieved that Trump had backed away from his veiled veto threat, saying he should help Republican Senate candidates David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler in the Jan.5 Georgia runoff elections that will determine control. of the United States Senate.
Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi welcomed Trump’s signing as a “preview of what is needed” and said, “Now, the president must immediately call on Republicans in Congress to end his obstruction and join him and the Democrats in supporting our independent legislation. Increase direct paychecks to $ 2,000. “
In his signing statement, Trump also sought to keep alive his campaign of unsubstantiated claims that the November election was rigged against him.
He said the House of Representatives and the Senate “agreed to focus heavily on very substantial voter fraud” and that the Senate will launch an investigation.
Neither the United States Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell nor Pelosi mentioned such an agreement. Democratic lawmakers have firmly rejected Trump’s claims, as have some Republicans.
McConnell angered Trump by recognizing Biden as president-elect.
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