President Donald Trump refused to commit to signing major affordable housing legislation, calling the bipartisan bill “a big yawn” and declaring it “so unimportant” compared to his stalled voting reform measure. The president now has 10 days to decide the fate of the first significant housing legislation Congress has passed in over three decades.
Landmark Bill Meets Presidential Resistance
House Speaker Mike Johnson officially transmitted The 21st Century Road to Housing Act to Trump’s desk on Monday, June 29, starting the clock on a 10-day window for presidential action. Trump abruptly canceled a scheduled signing ceremony last week and told reporters he will not sign the housing bill until Congress passes his SAVE America Act, which would mandate photo identification and proof of citizenship for federal elections while prohibiting universal mail-in voting nationwide.
The housing legislation cleared both chambers with overwhelming support in June, passing 358-32 in the House and 85-5 in the Senate. The wide-ranging bill aims to spur manufactured housing construction, loosen regulations on small-dollar mortgages, increase bank investment caps for low- and middle-income housing projects, and limit large investors with 350 or more properties from purchasing homes. It also streamlines environmental review processes for housing development.
Bipartisan Support Raises Presidential Concerns
Trump expressed skepticism about the legislation precisely because Democrats joined Republicans in supporting it. “It’s very bipartisan. That means the Democrats like it,” Trump said Monday. “Nobody knows more about housing in the history of the presidency. Nobody did well like me in housing. I made a lot of money with housing. But when I look at that bill, it’s a bill. But when I look at the SAVE America Act, it’s about saving America.”
The president’s voting reform measure remains stalled in Congress despite his repeated calls for Senate Republicans to eliminate the filibuster. Four Republican senators voted against adding the legislation to a $70 billion budget package in June. All Senate Democrats oppose the measure, leaving it unclear whether the proposal could pass even with a simple majority threshold.
Political Stakes Mount Before November
The housing bill represents a potential political victory for Republicans on affordability issues ahead of November elections, as polling shows only one-third of Americans approve of Trump’s economic management. The legislation addresses voter concerns about rising living costs that have dominated campaign discussions. Trump can sign the bill, veto it, or allow it to become law automatically by taking no action within the 10-day period. “How do you vote against Save America?” Trump challenged lawmakers who opposed his voting measure. “The only people that would vote against that are people that are going to cheat in the next election.”