WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump allowed a bipartisan housing bill to become law on Friday without signing it, using the constitutional process to register his opposition while protesting the Senate’s failure to advance a voter identification measure that he has made a legislative priority.
In a social media post before the deadline to act on the legislation, Trump said he would not sign the housing bill because the Senate had not passed the SAVE America Act, legislation that would require proof of citizenship for all voters.
“I will not sign the Housing Bill, which has been fully approved by Congress and sent to the White House, in PROTEST over the fact that the United States Senate is not capable of passing THE SAVE AMERICA ACT,” Trump wrote.
Under the Constitution, a bill approved by Congress becomes law if a president neither signs nor vetoes it within the prescribed period while Congress remains in session. Trump had until Friday to decide whether to sign the measure, veto it, or allow it to take effect without his signature.
White House Protest Centers on Election Legislation
Trump’s decision links a bipartisan housing measure to a separate legislative effort focused on election rules, underscoring his administration’s emphasis on voter identification legislation even as Congress had already approved the housing package with overwhelming bipartisan support.
The president had already delayed action on the measure more than a week earlier, canceling a planned signing ceremony after announcing he would withhold his approval until lawmakers acted on the SAVE America Act.
According to the report, the voter ID proposal does not currently have enough Republican support in the Senate to secure passage.
House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Republican from Louisiana, had encouraged Trump to sign the legislation after it was delivered to the White House.
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Johnson told reporters he hoped the president would approve the bill but acknowledged that it would become law regardless. He also said he understood Trump’s effort to emphasize the elections legislation as his top priority.
Housing Measure Targets Affordability Challenges
The newly enacted 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act represents one of the broadest federal housing initiatives in decades and is intended to reduce housing costs while encouraging additional residential construction.
The legislation seeks to ease federal housing regulations, streamline environmental reviews, accelerate homebuilding projects and limit corporate purchases of single-family homes.
Earlier this year, White House economists estimated that the United States faces a shortage of approximately 10 million homes. The administration said the legislation could help reduce part of that deficit.
Despite those goals, Trump dismissed the measure as “a yawn” and “so unimportant” compared with legislation addressing voter eligibility requirements.
The bill does not address every factor contributing to housing affordability, including shortages of construction workers, rising insurance costs and wage growth that has not kept pace with housing expenses. However, it has received backing from housing advocates and the real estate industry.
Bipartisan Congressional Support
The legislation advanced through Congress with broad bipartisan backing.
The Senate approved the bill by an 85-5 vote, while the House passed it 358-32.
Trump’s decision not to sign the measure nevertheless drew criticism from Democrats, who argued that the move shifted attention away from housing affordability.
Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer said on X that Trump’s priorities favored expanding his own political influence over addressing costs facing American families.
The housing market remains a significant affordability challenge across the United States. According to the National Association of Realtors, the median existing-home sales price reached a record $440,600 in June, up 1.8% from a year earlier and the highest level since the organization began tracking the data in 1999.
This report is based on reporting by The Associated Press.
Article Topics: Housing Policy | Congress | Voter ID | Executive Branch | Housing Affordability | Senate | Federal Legislation
