Unemployment benefits for millions of Americans were due on Sunday, and the government will close at 11:59 PM on Monday as the fate of the COVID-19 economic aid package remained unclear. President Trump has yet to sign that bill and its $ 1.4 trillion bill to fund the administration that Congress passed on Dec. 21 after weeks of negotiations with members of Mr. Trump’s own administration.
An estimated 12 million Americans lost their unemployment support after two major government programs approved by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act, or CARES Act, expired on Dec. 26, according to a study published last week by The Century Foundation, a progressive think tank.
Trump has refused to sign the bill due to the $ 600 incentive checks, instead pushing for $ 2,000 checks. Over the weekend, he also ordered Congress to delete the “ pork ” in the bill, although he did not specify what he means by pork, which typically refers to attachments added to bills that are pet or local targets of members of the Congres .
House speaker Nancy Pelosi said Thursday that the House would vote on a standalone bill Monday that would provide $ 2,000 checks to Americans. She said the bill had been blocked by Republicans.
Today, on Christmas Eve morning, House Republicans cruelly deprived the American people of the $ 2,000 the president wanted to support. If the president is serious about the $ 2,000 direct payments, he must call on House Republicans to end their obstruction, ”said Pelosi. in a statement Thursday morning. “On Monday, I will return Parliament to its session where we will have a registered vote on our standalone law to increase payments for economic impact to $ 2,000.”
The massive $ 900 billion COVID-19 bill for emergency economic assistance includes not only the $ 600 incentive vouchers but also improved unemployment benefits, $ 284.45 billion in small business loans, $ 25 billion in direct rental assistance, $ 82 billion for education funding, $ 45 billion for public transportation. and $ 13 billion for increased food stamps and infant nutrition.
The bill also extends the postponement moratorium by another month. If not passed, millions of renters in arrears could be evicted.
In addition to economic aid, the deal also allocates more than $ 30 billion for the purchase and distribution of the coronavirus vaccine and $ 27 billion for testing and state health care programs.
President elect Joe Biden on Saturday insisted Mr. Trump to sign the bill.
“It’s the day after Christmas, and millions of families don’t know if they will be able to make ends meet as President Donald Trump refuses to sign an emergency economic aid bill passed by Congress by an overwhelming and bipartisan majority.” said Mr. Biden said in a statement on Saturday.
Mr. Trump is at his Mar-a-Lago resort for the Florida vacation.