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Congress seals agreement on COVID relief, government funding

Mitch McConnell
Posted at 6:18 PM, Dec 20, 2020
and last updated 2020-12-20 18:18:21-05

WASHINGTON (AP) — Top negotiators in Congress have sealed a deal on an almost $1 trillion COVID-19 economic relief package.

Lawmakers announced the agreement Sunday after days of negotiations.

The agreement would establish a temporary $300 per week supplemental jobless benefits and $600 direct stimulus payments to most Americans, along with a fresh round of subsidies for hard-hit businesses and funding for schools, health care providers, and renters facing eviction.

The final agreement was reached after a breakthrough over Federal Reserve emergency powers was resolved by the Senate’s top Democrat and a senior conservative Republican.