Trump resists signing Covid-19 relief bill

Washington, Dec 28 : Millions of jobless Americans are set to lose their federal unemployment benefits as President Donald Trump did not sign the US $900 billion Covid-19 relief package by midnight Saturday.
More than 12 million people on two pandemic aid programs would lose unemployment benefits for the final week of the year after the presidency missed the midnight Saturday deadline, said a CNN report, citing the estimate of US think tank The Century Foundation.
Even if Trump had signed the relief package by Saturday, the jobless would still suffer a break in payments as it takes some time to process the provisions, the report noted.
The relief package, recently approved by the Congress, also includes another round of direct payments for individuals, and more funding for Paycheck Protection Program to support small businesses, as well as more funding for schools, testing and the distribution of vaccines, Xinhua news agency reported.
Had the package been enacted, it would have extended federal unemployment benefits by 300 dollars each week for existing recipients through mid-March.
Following months of deadlock over the size and scope of the relief package, Democratic and Republican lawmakers recently reached a deal on the long-awaited measure.