Trump signs COVID relief and government funding bill

WEST PALM BEACH, Florida — President Donald Trump has signed the government funding bill, which includes $900 billion in COVID relief.

His delayed signature, averts a government shutdown and funds expanded unemployment benefits for millions of Americans that ran out Saturday.

The bill includes $1.4 trillion to fund government agencies through September and contains other end-of-session priorities such as money for cash-starved transit systems and an increase in food stamp benefits.

The president spent the past few days criticizing the bill passed by Congress, calling for bigger stimulus checks and less foreign aid.

"I'm asking Congress to amend this bill and increase the ridiculously low $600 to $2000 or $4000 for a couple. I'm also asking Congress to immediately get rid of the wasteful and unnecessary items from this legislation," the president said in a video last week.

Trump stated that with the signing of the bill, the House and Senate agreed to "focus strongly on the very substantial voter fraud which took place in the November 3 Presidential election."

"The Senate will start the process for a vote that increases checks to $2,000, repeals Section 230, and starts an investigation into voter fraud," Trump said in the statement.

Trump said Sunday that he will continue fighting for $2000 stimulus checks and will be sending a "red-lined version," asking Congress to make certain changes to remove "wasteful spending.

Public calls for President Trump to sign the bill came to the forefront this weekend.

"As he leaves office, I understand he wants to be remembered for advocating for big checks but the danger is he’ll be remembered for chaos and misery and erratic behavior if he allows this to expire. So I think the best thing to do as I say is sign this and then make the case for subsequent legislation," Sen. Pat Toomey, R-Pennsylvania said in an interview with FOX News Sunday.