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The elected representatives met today at 2 pm (Lisbon time, 9 am in Washington, DC) and, according to the Associated Press (AP) news agency, they tried without success to unanimously pass a change in the law that was approved by the Senate and the House of Representatives on Monday.
In particular, Democrats wanted to increase the direct payments that millions of taxpayers will receive from $ 600 to $ 2,000, after outgoing President Donald Trump called the plan “an embarrassment” and demanded that increase on Tuesday, going against it. the position of your party.
The most striking points of the economic stimulus plan, to support the recovery from the crisis caused by the new coronavirus pandemic, is the payment of 600 dollars (about 492 euros) to all Americans with incomes below 75,000 dollars (about 62,000 euros) and unemployment benefits of $ 300 (about 246 euros) per week.
Paradoxically, Trump and the Democrats agree on increasing direct payments, but Republicans in Congress are opposed.
Democrats took advantage of the division between the president and Republican leaders in Congress to ask for more direct help from Americans.
“Today on Christmas Eve morning, Republicans in the House of Representatives cruelly left the American people without the $ 2,000 the president agreed to support,” Democratic President Nancy Pelosi said in a statement.
The emergency package was included in another broader federal spending, known as ‘omnibus’, to finance the administration until September 2021, for a total amount of $ 2.3 billion (€ 1.8 billion).
However, the entry into force of those measures depends on the ratification of the outgoing president, Donald Trump, who has already threatened not to do so.
If Trump does not sign the program before the end of next Monday, the resources for the Government will be exhausted and he may have to partially close (Government shutdown) as of December 29, which has not happened in two years.
Unemployment benefits for 14 million Americans end on Saturday, and a rule preventing 30 million people from being evicted from their homes expires at the end of this month.
