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WASHINGTON (AP) – U.S. President Donald Trump signed into law a $ 2.3 trillion spending and pandemic aid package on Sunday (Dec. 27), authorities said, which restored unemployment benefits to millions of people. Americans and avoided a partial shutdown of the federal government.
Trump, who leaves office on January 20 after losing the November election, retracted his threat to block the bill, which was approved by Congress last week, after coming under intense pressure from of legislators from both sides.
The Republican president, who played golf on Sunday and remained out of the public eye even as the possible government shutdown loomed, had demanded that Congress change the bill to increase the size of stimulus checks for Americans in difficulties at $ 2,000 from $ 600.
It was not immediately clear why Trump changed his mind when his resistance to the massive legislative package promised a chaotic final stretch of his presidency.
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. “Good news on the Covid Relief Bill. Information to watch!” Trump said in a cryptic message on Twitter Sunday night. But he offered no explanation.
Democrats agree to the $ 2,000 payments, but many Republicans have objected in the past. Many economists agree that financial aid in the bill should be higher to get the economy moving again, but say immediate support is still urgently needed for Americans affected by the COVID-19 lockdowns.
Unemployment benefits paid to some 14 million people through pandemic programs expired on 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.
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