"Trump to Sign Bipartisan Stimulus Deal if Agreement Reached"

Bipartisan Agreement Talks Republican Lawmaker Remarks
Possibility of $908 Billion Agreement Deal Heightens
Last-Minute Agreement Attempt Expected Ahead of Federal Temporary Budget Deadline on 11th
Potential Overlap with Federal Government Shutdown if Agreement Fails

Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives. [Image source=AP Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy New York=Correspondent Baek Jong-min] The $908 billion (983 trillion won) U.S. economic stimulus bill is gaining momentum for passage within the year. Following the Democratic leadership's approval last week, there are expectations that President Donald Trump and Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell will also support it.

Particularly, attention is focused on whether the stimulus effect will be amplified by synergy with the imminent emergency use authorization of the COVID-19 vaccine in the U.S., expected to be approved within days.

Republican Senator Bill Cassidy appeared on Fox News on the 6th (local time) and said, "President Trump and Leader McConnell will support the bipartisan bill," adding, "President Trump mentioned he would sign the bill upon its passage." Senator Cassidy is the key figure leading the $908 billion bipartisan stimulus plan.

Democratic Senator Dick Durbin also stated in an interview with ABC, "This is the last chance to pass the stimulus bill before Christmas and the end of the year," and added, "There are a few remaining issues, but they can be resolved."

Lawmakers agree that an agreement on the stimulus bill is needed within this week. The federal government's temporary budget expires on the 11th, coinciding with this deadline. Both Democrats and Republicans passed a temporary budget to prevent a federal government shutdown ahead of the November 3 presidential election. If the federal budget and stimulus bill are not processed simultaneously this week, it is expected to be difficult to find a consensus thereafter.

According to Bloomberg News, there is also discussion about passing a one-week short-term budget first to delay the federal government shutdown until the 18th.

COVID-19 vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna are expected to receive emergency use authorization within days. Alex Azar, U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services, emphasized in a Fox News interview that "once emergency authorization is granted, the first doses will be distributed within days." The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advisory committee will hold meetings on the 10th and 17th to evaluate Pfizer's and Moderna's COVID-19 vaccines respectively and decide whether to recommend emergency authorization.

A positive atmosphere is also building ahead of vaccine approval. Moncef Slaoui, Chief Advisor of the U.S. government's vaccine development team "Operation Warp Speed," said on CBS, "It is very important for everyone to be comforted by the fact that there is light at the end of the tunnel." He further predicted that deaths among the elderly due to COVID-19 will significantly decrease by the end of January next year.

The COVID-19 situation in the U.S. is worsening. According to Johns Hopkins University, daily new COVID-19 cases in the U.S. have exceeded 200,000 consecutively. The daily death toll reached a record high of 2,804.

In California, where the resurgence of COVID-19 is most severe, lockdown measures have been imposed in some areas including San Francisco. Earlier, Governor Gavin Newsom announced that if intensive care units (ICUs) in the state reach capacity within days, lockdown measures would be implemented. On the 5th alone, California reported over 27,000 new cases.

President-elect Joe Biden is reported to have nominated Javier Becerra, California Attorney General of Latin descent, as Secretary of Health and Human Services to lead the next administration's COVID-19 response. The New York Times (NYT) described it as a "surprise appointment" and reported that Biden is expected to officially announce the nominee early this week.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.