US President Donald Trump has signed into law a US#2.3 trillion pandemic aid and spending package, restoring unemployment benefits and averting a partial federal government shutdown. US President Donald Trump has signed a US$900 billion pandemic relief package, ending days of drama over his refusal of the bipartisan deal that will deliver long-sought cash to businesses and individuals and avert a federal government shutdown. In his statement, Trump repeated his frustrations with the coronavirus relief bill for providing only US$600 checks to most Americans instead of the US$2,000 that his fellow Republicans already rejected. “I will sign the Omnibus and Covid package with a strong message that makes clear to Congress that wasteful items need to be removed,” Trump said in the statement. Lawmakers now have breathing room to continue debating whether the relief checks should be as large as the president has demanded.

Source: The Standard December 28, 2020 08:03 UTC