President Donald Trump abruptly canceled plans Wednesday to sign a bipartisan housing bill, saying he would not move forward until Congress passes a sweeping election measure known as the SAVE America Act.
The move left the housing legislation in limbo after it passed the House and Senate with broad support. The bill is aimed at lowering housing costs, in part by encouraging more home construction and restricting large investors from buying single-family homes.
Trump said on Truth Social that the housing signing was canceled until passage of the election bill, which has become a major priority of his second term. The SAVE America Act would overhaul election rules nationwide and add proof-of-citizenship and voter ID requirements.
Republican leaders have said they do not have the votes to pass the election bill in the Senate because of Democratic opposition and resistance among Republicans to eliminating the filibuster.
Trump met with Senate Republicans on Capitol Hill after canceling the signing, but did not address the housing bill in brief comments to reporters afterward.
The decision frustrated some Republicans who have been looking for a concrete legislative accomplishment on affordability ahead of the midterm elections. Housing costs remain a major concern for voters, and the bill had been negotiated by lawmakers in both parties, including Sens. Tim Scott and Elizabeth Warren and Reps. French Hill and Maxine Waters.
House Speaker Mike Johnson defended Trump's decision, saying the president still has time before a signature deadline and is using that window to press for action on the election bill.
Democrats criticized the delay, arguing that Trump was blocking a measure intended to make homeownership more affordable. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said there may be enough support in Congress to override a veto if Trump rejects the measure.
It was not immediately clear whether Trump plans to sign the housing bill later, veto it or allow it to become law without his signature.
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