President Donald Trump surprised the establishment on Wednesday by abruptly canceling a bill signing ceremony, and declaring that he won’t act on any new legislation until Congress passes the SAVE America Act, which he considers a “national emergency.”
Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Republican leaders had scheduled a noon ceremony for Trump to sign the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, a bipartisan bill the House passed Tuesday by a lopsided 358-32 vote. The legislation aims to expand housing supply, lower costs for buyers, ban large institutional investors from purchasing single-family homes, ease regulations on new developments, and loosen regulations on factory-built homes.
Trump put the stop to that ceremony on Wednesday morning.
“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. “Thank you for your attention to this matter.”
He had signaled the move was coming just hours earlier, dismissing the housing bill as an “Elizabeth ‘Pocahontas’ Warren centric housing bill” that he called “of minor importance compared to lower interest rates, and even FISA, pales in comparison to passing THE SAVE AMERICA ACT.”
The SAVE America Act would require proof of citizenship and photo identification to vote in federal elections. It has been a centerpiece of Trump’s second-term agenda for months, and he has grown increasingly impatient with the Republican-controlled Senate’s inability to pass the bill.
On Wednesday, he renewed his call for Republicans to eliminate the filibuster to force it through.
“Get the bad Republicans to approve it or, better yet, Terminate the Filibuster and approve it, AND EVERYTHING ELSE REPUBLICANS HAVE EVER DREAMED OF,” Trump wrote. “The Dumocrats will do it in hour one, 100%. Republicans will feel very stupid if they don’t do it first. I’ll be watching with tears in my eyes!!!”
Trump’s timing caught his allies off guard. Rep. French Hill (R-AR) was reportedly praising Trump’s support of the bipartisan housing deal during House GOP leaders’ weekly press conference just minutes before Trump’s post went up.
The president’s move doesn’t necessarily kill the bill. Under the Constitution, legislation becomes law automatically 10 days after being presented to the president while Congress is in session, even without his signature…. unless he formally vetoes it.
With the median U.S. home price now topping $400,000, according to Realtor.com, the housing bill had been viewed by lawmakers in both parties as a rare opportunity for a bipartisan affordability win heading into a difficult midterm cycle.
Trump’s gambit now pushes Republicans to pass his voter ID legislation. Can Senate Republicans deliver the SAVE Act fast enough to get both bills moving again?