President Donald Trump demands lawmakers get rid of the wasteful and unnecessary items from the legislation 'and to send me a suitable bill.' He called on lawmakers to increase direct payments for most Americans from US$600 to US$2,000 for individuals and US$4,000 for couples. In addition, because lawmakers linked the pandemic relief bill to an overarching funding measure, the government would shut down on Dec. 29. Lawmakers spent months in a stalemate over pandemic relief funds, even as COVID-19 cases soared across the country. Republicans have been reluctant to spend more on pandemic relief and only agreed to the big year-end package as time dwindled for a final deal.

Source: The Standard December 23, 2020 07:07 UTC