Donald Trump turned a rare bipartisan housing victory into a Capitol Hill standoff Wednesday after canceling a scheduled signing ceremony and tying the legislation to his demand for the SAVE America Act, a sweeping elections bill that would add voter ID, proof-of-citizenship and mail-ballot restrictions.
“Today’s Housing News Conference and Signing is hereby cancelled until such time as we pass the desperately needed SAVE AMERICA ACT, which I consider to be a National Emergency,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. The housing package, known as the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, passed 85-5 in the Senate and 358-32 in the House, with provisions aimed at speeding housing construction, streamlining reviews and limiting the number of existing single-family homes large Wall Street investors can own.
The bill had been promoted as the most comprehensive housing policy push of the century. Senate Banking Committee Chairman Tim Scott’s office said it was built around “cutting red tape,” “unlocking housing supply,” “lowering costs for families” and “including no new federal spending.” The legislation was negotiated with Sen. Elizabeth Warren, Rep. French Hill and Rep. Maxine Waters.
But Trump undercut the bill, calling it “of minor importance” and a “Warren centric housing bill,” while urging Republicans to prioritize the SAVE America Act. After meeting Senate Republicans, Trump insisted the party is “unified,” adding, “We’re very proud of the party. We like our leader, we like everybody really in the room. I don’t like a few people, but that’s okay.”
Senate Majority Leader John Thune responded carefully, saying, “I just heard that. … I guess I would say at this point I don’t have any observations about that.” House Speaker Mike Johnson defended the delay, saying, “He has a window of time before he has to sign a bill, and he’s going to use a little bit more of that window of time, and we’re going to go through this together.”
Behind the scenes, frustration spilled over.
“What a s**t show…Crazy crazy crazy,” one House Republican told NBC News. “A once in a generation housing bill falls victim to the nuts.” Another added, “Trump did something outrageous to keep the spotlight focused on him. Shocker.” A third warned, “I’m not that safe. No incumbent is safe,” adding, “People are pissed off that we are not taking care of business.”
The SAVE Act would require proof of citizenship to register to vote in federal elections, according to the White House’s own outline, while the Bipartisan Policy Center notes critics worry documentary requirements could burden eligible voters who do not have easy access to those records.
Democrats quickly seized on the delay. “Congress passed a bipartisan bill to make it easier to own a home,” Rep. Jason Crow wrote. “The President is refusing to sign it. Donald Trump doesn’t care about lowering costs for you.”
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said Trump was “making such a fool of himself,” but added, “It looks like even if Trump decides to veto it, there are probably enough votes in both houses to override that veto.”
