More than $2.5 billion has been appropriated for a new $2 billion stimulus program for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, including $1.2 million for health insurance enrollment, according to the U.S. Office of Management and Budget.
More than 1.3 million jobs are created in the federal workforce during the program, and a record number of people have been laid off, according the Office of Personnel Management.
The $2-billion is part of $2 trillion in stimulus spending announced Wednesday by President Donald Trump.
The stimulus program will allow for the hiring of 1.4 million people, according a statement from the White House.
The unemployment rate will drop from 5.4 percent to 4.7 percent.
“We are committed to helping the unemployed get back to work, helping families keep more of their own money, and providing stability for our economy as a whole,” the statement said.
The program includes grants for health plans, tuition assistance and tax credits for private health insurance plans.
It also includes $1 billion for job training programs for people in high-need occupations, including people who have been unemployed for more than two months and those in small businesses.
The spending comes as the federal government continues to grapple with the outbreak of COVID, which has claimed nearly 9,000 lives in the U, and the federal healthcare program, known as Obamacare, that many Americans rely on.
The COVID pandemic is expected to continue for years.
The program is the first of its kind in the world.
It is expected in phases over the next year and a half.