WASHINGTON, Dec 20, 2020, SPA -- Republican and Democratic leaders in the U.S. Congress on Sunday said they were close to finalizing a $900 billion package to provide the first new aid in months to an economy hammered by the pandemic, but it remained unclear when they would vote to seal the deal, Reuters reported. Their remarks followed late-night negotiations in which senators from both parties struck a compromise to clear one of the final hurdles, a dispute over Federal Reserve pandemic lending authority. The package would be the second-largest economic stimulus in U.S. history, following a $2.3 trillion aid bill passed in March. The deal comes as the pandemic accelerates, infecting more than 214,000 people in the country each day. More than 316,000 Americans have already died. The package would give $600 direct payments to individuals, boost unemployment payments by $300 per week, and provide aid to small businesses. Congress aims to include the coronavirus aid package in a $1.4 trillion spending bill funding government programs through September 2021. --SPA 22:39 LOCAL TIME 19:39 GMT 0018 www.spa.gov.sa/w1470751