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The aid package includes, among other things, direct payments for most taxpayers of $ 1,400
Photo: OLIVIER DOULIERY / AFP
The huge new economic stimulus package presented by US President Joe Biden to cope with the corona crisis has been approved.
After the US Senate, the House of Representatives also approved the project worth around 1.9 trillion US dollars (around 1.6 trillion euros).
Congress had to deal with the bundle of measures again because there had been changes in the Senate.
The parliamentary process is now complete.
White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki announced that Biden would sign what is known as the "American Bailout Plan" on Friday in order to put it into effect.
The size of the pact corresponds to almost ten percent of the annual US economic output.
Many Republicans had opposed such extensive aid.
Biden wants to use it to stimulate the economy and create millions of new jobs.
The plan includes direct payments for most taxpayers of $ 1,400.
In addition, there should be financial aid for corona tests, the vaccination campaign, school openings and additional support for the unemployed.
The Democrats had paved the way for the law to come into effect 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.
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, Parliament also passed economic stimulus packages worth almost three trillion dollars last spring.
The US government's mountain of debt has grown rapidly since then.
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kim / AFP / dpa / Reuters