Trump Begrudgingly Signs COVID-19 Relief Bill, Government Spending, Averting Shutdown

After throwing the bill into doubt earlier this week, President Donald Trump caved Sunday night and signed the coronavirus relief and federal spending measure, averting a government shutdown and ensuring millions of unemployed Americans get some relief going into the new year.

It was an act of mercy for millions, after the president suddenly indicated Tuesday night that he wouldn’t support the bill. Trump said he wanted to increase direct stimulus payments from $600 to $2,000 ― as well as eliminate a number of foreign aid provisions that were included in his own budget request earlier this year ― but Republicans wouldn’t go along with his call to increase checks, and Trump seemed to realize that holding out on the bill would cause chaos and distress across the country. On top of ending unemployment benefits for more than 10 million people, Trump would have caused a government shutdown, delayed vaccine distribution, and held up stimulus checks for weeks ― if they ever even came.