U.S. President Donald Trump, on vacation in Florida, has signed a $ 2.3 trillion financial package that is important to millions of unemployed Americans, after coming under pressure from lawmakers .
The White House confirmed that the outgoing president had signed the bill shortly after he tweeted: “Good news for the Covid Relief Bill. Information to follow. “
Trump, pictured playing golf at his Mar-a-Lago resort over the Christmas weekend, had been under pressure from lawmakers on both sides to block a ban on widespread support and a government funding bill, passed by Congress last week.
The Republican president had called for the bill to be amended to increase the size of incentive studies for struggling Americans to $ 2,000 from $ 600, adding not only the huge package of economic and health support. the public at risk, but the basic activity of the government itself.
“I have told Congress that I want to spend far less waste and more money going to Americans in the form of $ 2,000 checks per adult and $ 600 per child,” Trump said in a statement citing he had signed the bill.
White House deputy news secretary Judd Deere said the president was “sending a strong message” that “junk items” must be removed from the bill and said a “draft” would be revisited. “designed” to be returned to Congress with a requirement that such items be removed from the bill.
Other conditions include a possible revision and repeal of Section 230, where social media giants cannot be held legally responsible for irrational words, photos or videos that people post to the public. their platforms.
Deere says Congress has agreed to “put a strong focus on high-profile voter fraud” in the November elections. There is no evidence of such fraud and the courts have thwarted Trump’s efforts to bring a lawsuit.
The financial package passed with wide margins in the House and Senate and with the understanding from members of both parties that Trump supported it. The bill had to be signed by midnight Tuesday (05:00 GMT) to ensure the federal government does not run out of money.
“This is President Donald Trump’s final stance at 1: Being relevant and 2: Being able to cause chaos and disorder in Washington,” political analyst Eric Ham told Al Jazeera.
Legislators urged Trump to immediately sign the legislation and then push Congress for more money with the economic hardship facing many and the continued rise of COVID-19.
Rosalind Jordan at Al Jazeera said the presidential delay meant it was unlikely people would get the money in time to pay rent and pay their bills, to special with public holidays Friday.
“It’s better than nothing, and that’s what people went into for Christmas,” Jordan said. “Many criticize the president for unnecessarily delaying the views of these critics and making things even more difficult for people than he has already been for the last nine months. gone. “
In addition to unemployment benefits and family relief payments, the bill was also needed for money for vaccine distribution, businesses, cash-in-transit public transport and protection against eviction.
The United States has reported more cases of coronavirus – and more deaths – than any other country in the world and experts warn of more pain once the Christmas and New Year holidays Soil over.
Dr Anthony Fauci, the country’s leading infectious diseases expert, has warned that travel during the holiday season could push the country to an “emergency point” in the pandemic.
According to COVID tracking project data, the U.S. has recorded an average of 185,903 new daily infections over the past seven days, while the number of people hospitalized with the disease reached 117,344 on Saturday. The total number of diseases diagnosed since the uprising exceeded 19 million on Sunday, according to Johns Hopkins University, the highest number in the world.
Congress, which is usually postponed during the last week of December, is preparing to return to work on Monday.
Democrats, who control the lower House of Representatives, have proposed a larger $ 2,000 relief payment but Republicans have expressed concern about the cost.