US President Donald Trump signed on Friday, December 18, a bill passed by both houses of Congress on an interim budget for two days, until December 20. This was reported by the press service of the White House.
“On Friday, December 18, 2020, the president signed <...> a resolution <...> which provides for allocations for the 2021 fiscal year to federal structures until December 20, 2020,” the TASS statement was quoted as saying.
The previous resolution on financing the activities of state institutions expires on the night of December 19. If the initiative was not approved, the country would face a new shutdown. This already happened in 2018, when civil servants went on forced leave for a record 35 days.
Earlier that day, the Senate of the US Congress, following the House of Representatives, passed a bill on an interim budget until December 20.
Consultations are ongoing in Congress on the adoption of a full-fledged budget for fiscal 2021 (started in the country on October 1). Legislators are confident that in the remaining two days they will be able to reach an agreement and approve the document. In addition, it is planned to include in the final draft budget a package of emergency measures to stimulate the growth of the US economy, over which Democrats and Republicans have been arguing for several months. Democrats believe it should exceed $ 2 trillion, and Republicans insist on $ 500 billion. Now they have practically come to an agreement and agree on the amount of $ 900 billion.
In March, American leader Donald Trump signed into law a $ 2 trillion stimulus bill amid the spread of the coronavirus. It was noted that this is the largest government aid package in American history.