WASHINGTON — The U.S. Senate and House late Monday passed an enormous year-end bill, combining $900 billion in COVID-19 relief with a $1.4 trillion omnibus spending bill, along with a host of fragmented legislation addressing taxes, energy, health care and education. The legislation now awaits President Donald Trump’s signature.
Lawmakers reached an agreement in principle late Sunday, hours before a midnight deadline to avoid a government shutdown. Because the agreement did not yet meet legislative standards, both chambers had to approve the one-day stopgap spending bill that gave them an additional 24 hours to finalize the relief package and broader operational spending bill.
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Once signed, the omnibus spending bill will fund the government through the remainder of the fiscal year, and direct COVID-19 relief payments could begin reaching bank accounts within one week.
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