Biden signs $1.9-trillion COVID-19 relief package into law

U.S. President Joe Biden arrives to deliver a speech on the country's fight against COVID-19 at the White House in Washington, U.S., March 11, 2021. /Reuters

U.S. President Joe Biden on Thursday signed the $1.9-trillion COVID-19 relief bill into law, after weeks of partisan fighting in Congress, promising $1,400 checks to millions of households and extending unemployment benefits among other plans.

The House of Representatives had approved the measure in a starkly partisan vote of 220-211 on Wednesday. Last week, the evenly split Senate narrowly passed the bill by a vote of 50 to 49.

One of the largest economic stimulus measures in U.S. history, the bill includes funding for COVID-19 vaccination and testing, extra unemployment benefits, direct payments to working Americans, and support for small businesses, state and local governments, along with schools.

"This historic legislation is about rebuilding the backbone of this country and giving people in this nation – working people, middle class folks, people who built the country – a fighting chance," Biden said at the White House Oval Office.

A recent survey by the Pew Research Center showed that there is broad public support for the relief package, with 70 percent of Americans saying they favor the legislation.

About 530,000 people have died from COVID-19 in the United States, more than any other country, and coronavirus-related lockdowns and restrictions have cost millions of jobs.

(With input from agencies)