Congress in race against time to finalise $900bn US stimulus deal late tonight
A stimulus deal for the US economy, including direct cheques of $600 to many Americans, is set to be voted on tonight in Washington.
Bipartisan agreement was finally found over the weekend on the deal, which has been the subject of tortuous negotiation and delay over recent weeks.
The deal must be signed by midnight tonight, leaving legislators rushing to draft the wording of the agreement before the deadline.
Read more: US approves Moderna vaccine for use across the country
The deal will offer direct support to Americans earning less than $75,000, in addition to a $69bn package towards the distribution of Covid-19 vaccines.
The small business loan scheme, the Paycheck Protection Program, will also be restarted with $284bn of new capital to give small businesses a greater safety net.
It has also been reported that the stimulus deal includes a change to the tax deductible status of business lunches, a move President Trump had advocated for.
The deal will also require President Trump’s signature.
President-elect Joe Biden said he was “optimistic that we can meet this moment, together.”
Covid-19 cases continue to increase in a number of US states, with fears of hospitals being overloaded during cold winter weather across much of the north and east of the country.