Elected officials and the White House are also negotiating a gigantic economic recovery plan that could go up to $ 1.3 trillion.
–
The US Congress passed a social assistance plan of around $ 100 billion on Wednesday for workers directly affected by the impact of the coronavirus, while elected officials and the White House were negotiating a gigantic economic recovery plan that could go as far as ‘at $ 1.3 trillion.
Donald Trump supports the text adopted Wednesday by an overwhelming majority (90 votes in favor and eight against), in a final vote in the Senate, with a Republican majority. The American president should therefore quickly sign it for it to take effect.
Fruit of tough negotiations between Democrats, Republicans and the White House, this plan, of about $ 100 billion, aims to strengthen the social protection of Americans facing the pandemic which has already killed more than 110 people in the United States, where more than 7,300 cases have been detected.
The text had been adopted overnight from Friday to Saturday by the House of Representatives with a Democratic majority, by 363 votes to 40.
Called “Families First, Coronavirus Response Law”, it provides “free testing for anyone who needs to be tested, including those who have no insurance.”
It also includes an “emergency” sick leave, with up to two weeks of paid leave for full-time employees and, for part-time employees, for a period equivalent to the number of hours usually worked, spread over two weeks.
Republican senators have asked that the amount of paid vacation be capped, as a condition of their support for the text.
The United States does not have a universal health coverage system and millions of Americans are uninsured, or poorly insured, while not all employees have paid vacation time.
This law also provides easier access to unemployment insurance, as well as food stamps, especially for children deprived of school, and releases federal funds to finance the “Medicaid” program, covering the health of Americans to lowest income.
“This is a well-intentioned project implemented by the Democrats in the House and the team of President Donald Trump in an attempt to give new measures of support to American workers,” said Republican majority leader in the Senate Mitch McConnell.
“However, the text of the Chamber has real flaws,” he added, reaffirming that the Senate would remain in session until it had adopted “a much bolder package of measures which must include significant support for small businesses across the country. ”
“We are moving fast because the situation requires it,” he said after the vote.
The senator was referring to the next package, called “phase three”, which is under negotiation.
Steve Mnuchin, the Secretary of the Treasury in charge of negotiations with Congress, brandished before Republican senators the threat of an unemployment rate of 20% if this gigantic economic recovery plan of $ 1.3 trillion were not adopted to amortize the impact of the new coronavirus.
–
