Trump signs COVID-19 relief bill with $600 stimulus checks

President Trump on Sunday signed a $2.3 trillion COVID-19 relief and government funding bill that includes $600 stimulus checks for most Americans.

The nearly 5,600-page bill passed the House and Senate by overwhelming margins on Monday night, just hours after its text was released.

The bill authorizes direct checks of $600 for people earning up to $75,000 per year. The amount decreases for higher earners and people who make over $95,000 get nothing.

There’s an additional $600 per child stimulus payment.

In a statement, Trump said that Congress on Monday would vote on a separate bill to “increase payments to individuals from $600 to $2,000.”

The bill creates a new $300 weekly unemployment supplement and replenishes a forgivable loan program for small businesses. It also creates new criminal penalties including prison time for violating copyright laws with online streaming.

Because the bill mashed together COVID-19 relief with ordinary government spending legislation, some social media users urged Trump to veto the bill, pointing to its billions in foreign aid and legislator pet projects.