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Washington (AP) - The US Congress has decided on another large economic stimulus package to deal with the Corona crisis.
The package of measures with a volume of around 900 billion dollars (about 737 billion euros) was approved by a large majority in both the House of Representatives and the Senate.
The incumbent US President Donald Trump now has to put the law into force with his signature - which should be a formality.
The package is intended to help financially struggling citizens, provide impetus for the troubled economy and provide additional funds for vaccinations and the fight against the coronavirus.
The Democratic and Republican leaderships in Congress agreed on the package on Sunday after months of negotiations.
In the spring, the US Congress had recently launched stimulus packages totaling around 2.7 trillion dollars, which corresponded to more than ten percent of annual economic output.
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In the House of Representatives, the new economic stimulus package was adopted with 359 votes to 53, in the Senate 92 senators voted, there were only 6 against.
The legislative package, with which, among other things, a 1.4 trillion budget of the federal government was passed, comprises a total of more than 5,500 pages.
The package includes additional financial aid for small and medium-sized businesses and a temporary increase in unemployment benefits of $ 300 per week.
All citizens below an annual income limit should also receive a one-time direct aid payment of 600 dollars per person.
Additional money for schools and for distributing the vaccines in the country is also planned.
"The people of America can rest assured that more help is coming, and that it is now," wrote Senate Republican majority leader Mitch McConnell on Twitter after the adoption.
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The corona pandemic has also plunged the US into a serious crisis, both economically and in terms of the health of the people in the country.
Around 18 million people have been infected with the corona virus there so far.
In absolute terms, that's more than in any other country in the world.
Almost 320,000 people have died in connection with Covid-19.
Democrats and Republicans accused each other of blocking and delaying negotiations on the new aid package.
It was only in the past few weeks and days that the talks really picked up speed in order to get aid off the ground before the end of the year and before Parliament's Christmas break.
In addition, the talks were linked to regular budget negotiations.
The Democrats had been trying for months for a more comprehensive aid package, with which, for example, municipalities and states should be financially supported.
For many Republicans, however, the compromise package went too far.
They, in turn, advocate protecting companies from coronavirus lawsuits.
The Democrats resisted it.
The Republicans, on the other hand, implemented a generous write-off rule for business meals, according to US media reports.
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President-elect Joe Biden, who will take office on January 20, has welcomed the stimulus package while stressing that more needs to be done in the coming year to help the people of America and the ailing economy.
"Our work is far from over," he said after the agreement was announced on Sunday evening.
© dpa-infocom, dpa: 201222-99-780311 / 2