Covid 19 coronavirus: Donald Trump signs aid bill preventing government shutdown

US President Donald Trump has signed a massive $ 900 billion pandemic aid package that will deliver long-sought money to businesses and individuals.

The bill includes $ 1.4 trillion to fund government agencies through September and contains other priorities at the end of the session, such as money for cashless transit systems and an increase in food stamp benefits.

Democrats promise more help once President-elect Joe Biden takes office, but Republicans are signaling a wait-and-see approach.

Trump caught members on both sides by surprise and disrupted months of negotiations when he demanded last week that the package, which has already been approved by the House and Senate by wide margins and is believed to have Trump’s support, be reviewed. to include larger aid payments and reduced expenses.

The federal government was about to run out of money and shut down Tuesday if Trump had continued his opposition to the bill.

In addition to unemployment benefits and family aid payments, money was at stake for vaccine distribution, businesses, penniless public transportation systems, and more. Protections against evictions are also at stake.

“What the president is doing right now is incredibly cruel,” Senator Bernie Sanders said.

“So many people are hurting … It’s really crazy and this president finally has to … do the right thing for the American people and stop worrying about his ego.”

Republican Sen. Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania said he understood that Trump “wants to be remembered for defending big checks, but the danger is that he will be remembered for chaos, misery and erratic behavior if he allows this to expire.”

Republican Rep. Adam Kinzinger said there was too much at stake for Trump to “play this old game of change.”

“I don’t get the point,” he said. “I don’t understand what is being done, why, unless it is just to create chaos and show power and be upset that you lost the election.”

Trump, who spent much of Sunday at his West Palm Beach golf course, gave no indication that he planned to sign the bill, other than a vague message posted on social media.

In fact, the president’s dissatisfaction with the legislation only seemed to have increased in recent days, as he criticized it both privately to club members and publicly on Twitter.

Days ago, Democrats said they would call House lawmakers in Washington to vote Monday on Trump’s proposal to send aid checks for $ 2,000, instead of the $ 600 approved by Congress. But the idea faced stiff opposition in the Republican-controlled Senate.