President Donald Trump abruptly shelved plans to sign a sweeping bipartisan housing bill Wednesday, declaring he will withhold his signature until Republicans deliver passage of the SAVE America Act, a sweeping elections overhaul he views as a top priority.
"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 posted on Truth Social. Hours earlier, he had dismissed the housing measure as "of minor importance" before pivoting back to his elections bill demand.
The housing legislation, which passed both the House and Senate this week with overwhelming bipartisan support, was designed to lower housing costs by expanding home construction and blocking large investors from snapping up single-family properties. For Republicans, it represented a tangible legislative victory to tout as voters rank the cost of living among their top concerns heading into November.
Trump's sudden reversal scrambled the political landscape. Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., laughed when told about the cancellation. "I just heard that," he said, offering no further comment. House Speaker Mike Johnson defended the move as strategic timing, saying Trump has a constitutional window before the bill automatically becomes law and plans to use that window to pressure passage of the SAVE Act.
Behind closed doors, the reaction from House Republicans ranged from stunned to furious. Anonymous GOP members texted reporters their exasperation. "What a s--- show," one wrote. "A once in a generation housing bill falls victim to the nuts." Another warned of electoral danger: "People are pissed off that we are not taking care of business."
The SAVE America Act would overhaul election rules across all 50 states, imposing new proof of citizenship and voter ID requirements. Trump has repeatedly demanded Republican action on the measure, but GOP leadership insists the votes simply aren't there. Democrats remain opposed, and Republican senators have shown little appetite for eliminating the filibuster, the 60-vote threshold that blocks most legislation.
During an Oval Office meeting with Republican lawmakers weeks ago on housing policy, Trump spent only 15 minutes discussing the issue before pivoting to his own development experience, then declared he didn't care about housing but would help if lawmakers wanted it, according to someone familiar with the conversation.
In his Truth Social posts, Trump singled out Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren as the face of the housing bill, calling it a "Warren centric housing bill," even though the measure was authored by a bipartisan quartet: Senators Tim Scott, R-S.C., and Warren, and Representatives French Hill, R-Ark., and Maxine Waters, D-Calif.
Democrats seized on the cancellation. "Congress passed a bipartisan bill to make it easier to own a home," Representative Jason Crow, D-Colo., posted on X. "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," though he predicted there were enough votes in both chambers to override a presidential veto if Trump followed through on blocking the bill.
The move deepened tension between the White House and Senate Republicans. Trump was scheduled to address Senate Republicans at their weekly lunch Wednesday, invited by Senator Rick Scott, R-Fla., to discuss the SAVE Act and other matters. That lunch proceeded as planned.
Trump continued demanding that Republicans abolish the filibuster to pass the SAVE America Act, a change that would require Senate rules to be rewritten. But Thune and other Republican leaders have said they lack the votes for such a dramatic maneuver. House Speaker Johnson suggested instead that Republicans use budget reconciliation, an expedited procedure that bypasses the filibuster for certain fiscal legislation, though the mechanism has constraints.
Author Sarah Mitchell: "Trump just handed Democrats a gift wrapped in housing affordability while throwing a tantrum over his elections bill. Whether he actually kills the housing win or caves within 10 days, he's already muddied what should have been a clean Republican victory."
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