The Senate overwhelmingly passed the combined $1.4 trillion government spending and $900 billion COVID-19 relief package Monday night, sending the bipartisan legislation to President Trump's desk. Trump is expected to sign the bill, which passed in the House, 359-53, earlier Monday evening. The Senate cleared the bill on a 91-7 vote. It is the last piece of legislation Congress is expected to vote on this year, unless Trump vetoes the National Defense Authorization Act.
The $1.4 trillion part of the bill funds the government through Sept. 30, 2021, and the COVID-19 stimulus package authorizes $600 direct payments to most Americans, replenishes a loan program for small businesses, extends augmented federal unemployment benefits and a moratorium on evictions, and provides money for renters, schools, and food stamps, among other things. The package also creates Smithsonian museums focused on women and Latinos, legislates an end to surprise medical billing, and allows tax deductions for business lunches. It is all wrapped up in a massive 5,600-page bill, among the longest pieces of legislation ever considered in Congress.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
Magazine solutions - December 27, 2024 / January 3, 2025Puzzles and Quizzes Issue - December 27, 2024 / January 3, 2025
-
Magazine printables - December 27, 2024 / January 3, 2025Puzzles and Quizzes Issue - December 27, 2024 / January 3, 2025
-
Why ghost guns are so easy to make — and so dangerousThe Explainer Untraceable, DIY firearms are a growing public health and safety hazard
-
Judges block $25B Kroger-Albertsons mergerSpeed Read The proposed merger between the supermarket giants was stalled when judges overseeing two separate cases blocked the deal
-
Rupert Murdoch loses 'Succession' court battleSpeed Read Murdoch wanted to give full control of his empire to son Lachlan, ensuring Fox News' right-wing editorial slant
-
Bitcoin surges above $100k in post-election rallySpeed Read Investors are betting that the incoming Trump administration will embrace crypto
-
Enron mystery: 'sick joke' or serious revival?Speed Read 23 years after its bankruptcy filing, the Texas energy firm has announced its resurrection
-
US charges Indian tycoon with bribery, fraudSpeed Read Indian billionaire Gautam Adani has been indicted by US prosecutors for his role in a $265 million scheme to secure solar energy deals
-
Boeing machinists approve contract, end strikeSpeed Read The company's largest union approved the new contract offer, ending a seven-week strike
-
US economy still strong in final preelection reportSpeed Read It grew at a solid 2.8% annual rate from July through September
-
Boeing machinists reject deal, continue strikeSpeed Read The rejection came the same day Boeing reported a $6.2 billion quarterly loss
