WORLD: Trump fails to sign economic relief bill into law

SOURCE: BBC – Millions of Americans have temporarily lost their unemployment benefits after President Donald Trump failed to sign the COVID relief bill into law.

US President-elect Joe Biden had warned of “devastating consequences” if  Trump continued to delay signing but the Saturday deadline has now passed.

Unemployment benefits and a ban on evictions will be affected.

The package worth $900bn (£665bn) was approved by Congress after months of difficult negotiations and compromises.

Trump says he wants to give people bigger one-off payments.

The bill includes the payment of $600 to Americans earning less than $75,000 a year. Trump says he wants Americans to receive $2,000 but Republicans in Congress refused to agree to the change.

In a tweet late on Saturday evening local time, Trump again defended his position on the issue, blaming China for the coronavirus outbreak.

The coronavirus economic relief comes with a $1.4tn federal budget attached. A partial government shutdown will begin on Tuesday unless legislators pass a stopgap bill before then – but this would not include coronavirus aid and Trump would still have to sign it.