Washington – President Trump on Sunday abruptly signed a measure that provides $ 900 billion in pandemic aid and funds the government through September, ending the last-minute turmoil he had created over legislation that will provide an economic lifeline to millions of Americans and will avoid a government shutdown.
The signing was a sudden change for the president, who last week seemed poised to derail the bill. But the move came after the expiration of two critical unemployment programs, guaranteeing a delay in benefits for millions of unemployed Americans.
The president had largely been on the sidelines for months of the negotiations, so his last-minute resistance last week to signing the $ 2.3 trillion package caught lawmakers and White House officials by surprise. It created fears that such a delay would exacerbate the economic cost as the coronavirus pandemic spreads across the country.
The relief bill includes a revival of expanded and extended unemployment benefits, billions of dollars to help states with the distribution of the coronavirus vaccine, a small business loan program, and relief money for the airlines. It was approved along with a spending measure to keep the government funded for the remainder of the fiscal year.
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