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The US Senate has approved the new economic stimulus package proposed by President Joe Biden to deal with the corona crisis.

The package of measures worth around 1.9 trillion US dollars (around 1.6 trillion euros) now has to be negotiated again in the House of Representatives.

In the Chamber of Parliament, however, the Democrats have a majority, so approval is considered quite certain.

After several days of deliberations and amendments, 50 Democrats voted for the package on Saturday, 49 Republicans against.

Republican Senator Dan Sullivan (Alaska) was absent from the vote due to a family bereavement.

In the event of a stalemate, Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris could have cast the decisive vote to push through the package.

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The scope of the package of measures corresponds to almost ten percent of US economic output.

The Republicans reject such a large package.

Biden wants to use the package to stimulate the economy and create millions of new jobs.

Among other things, it provides for one-time direct payments for most taxpayers of $ 1,400 - similar checks were already issued by the Trump administration last year.

There should also be financial aid for coronavirus tests, the vaccination campaign, school openings and additional support for the unemployed.

Unemployment benefits run out for many in mid-March

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Biden hopes to get the law into effect with his signature before mid-March.

Otherwise, the extended and increased unemployment benefits for millions of Americans would expire on March 14th.

Unemployment benefits, which are often very low in the US, are now to be increased by $ 300 a week through September.

There was still a dispute about this point until the end.

Biden was aiming for $ 400 a week.

A Democrat, Joe Manchin from conservative West Virginia, blocked this, despite sharp pressure from his party colleagues.

West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin saw to it that the law was revised

Source: AP / Leigh Vogel

The Senate therefore suspended its session on Friday at 11 a.m. local time and did not meet again until midnight - in the meantime, the Democrats were negotiating a new version of the law. 

Congress only passed an aid package worth around $ 900 billion at the end of December.

After the worsening of the pandemic in the United States, Congress also passed economic stimulus packages worth almost three trillion dollars last spring.

The US government's mountain of debt has risen sharply since then.