President Donald Trump allowed a significant bipartisan housing bill to become law without his signature Saturday, using the move as leverage to pressure Congress to pass his proposed SAVE America Act. The 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, aimed at increasing housing stock and lowering costs, had garnered overwhelming support in both chambers but faced Trump's objection as he sought to advance his election integrity measures.
Trump publicly stated his refusal to sign the housing bill, which had been transmitted to the White House in late June, was in protest of the Senate's inability to pass the SAVE America Act. He described the housing legislation as "unimportant" and "a yawn" compared to his election reform bill, which he asserted is polling at 97% among Republicans and highly with Democrats.
The SAVE America Act, a Trump-backed election measure, proposes requiring proof of citizenship for federal elections and implementing voter ID requirements, but it has struggled to surpass the Senate's 60-vote threshold. The House has also not advanced a version of the bill that includes Trump's proposed restrictions on mail-in voting and a ban on transgender athletes in women's sports.
Under the Constitution, the president has 10 days, excluding Sundays, to sign or veto legislation. Trump opted for neither, allowing the housing bill to become law at midnight. Had he vetoed the measure, it would have required a two-thirds majority in both the House and Senate to override, a threshold the legislation had already cleared in its passage.
Trump's stance created complications for Republicans, who had promoted the housing bill as a key accomplishment addressing affordability concerns. Senator Bill Cassidy, R-La., a retiring lawmaker, criticized the delay, stating, "It’s irresponsible to postpone signing the Housing bill due to the SAVE Act. We need to start delivering relief to people for the high cost of housing ASAP!!"
This situation follows Trump's abrupt cancellation of a scheduled signing ceremony for the housing bill at the U.S. Capitol in June, with at least one senior Republican reportedly unaware of the cancellation shortly before the event.
While the White House had previously described the housing bill as "one of the most significant pieces of housing affordability legislation in American history," Trump's focus shifted to the SAVE America Act. He expressed frustration with the Republican-controlled Senate for not weakening the legislative filibuster, which requires 60 votes to advance most legislation.
House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., acknowledged Trump's strategy, telling reporters that the former president was effectively making SAVE America the number one priority. Johnson suggested that despite the current situation, Republicans would still promote the housing bill ahead of the November elections.
The 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act includes approximately 60 provisions designed to boost housing supply. These measures involve streamlining federal environmental reviews, easing regulations on factory-built homes, and encouraging local governments to amend zoning laws to permit increased housing density. A provision restricting Wall Street investors from purchasing single-family homes, a policy Trump previously championed, is also part of the law.