Topline
President Donald Trump abruptly canceled plans Wednesday to sign a housing affordability bill into law, saying he would refuse to sign it until Congress passes a national voter ID law, throwing the bipartisan housing bill into limbo after a broad majority of both chambers of Congress supported the legislation.
President Donald Trump attends a press conference on June 17 in Evian-les-Bains, France.
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Key Facts
Trump said on Truth Social his ceremony and press conference to sign the bill was “hereby cancelled” until Congress passes the Save America Act.
The 21st Century Road to Housing Act, which aims to boost housing affordability and development, passed Congress with overwhelming bipartisan support, clearing the House in a 358-32 vote and the Senate in a 85-5 vote before going to Trump for his signature.
Though the bill has widespread support, Trump criticized it in a Truth Social post earlier Wednesday, including the role of Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., in spearheading the bill and claiming it’s “of minor importance” as compared to lowering interest rates and passing the SAVE America Act.
The SAVE America Act is a widely controversial bill that would establish a national requirement for voter ID, which voting rights advocates have said would disenfranchise many voters, and would require Americans to provide proof of citizenship in order to register to vote.
Trump has long pushed the bill—part of his broader crusade against voter fraud, despite evidence showing such fraud is exceedingly rare—but the bill has never had a large chance of passing, given Democrats’ opposition to it, leading Trump to urge Republicans to abolish the filibuster so it can pass the Senate more easily.
Trump’s Truth Social post comes as the president was set to attend a lunch meeting Wednesday with GOP lawmakers to push the SAVE America Act, CBS reports.
What to Watch for
Trump’s refusal to sign leaves the legislation in limbo, despite its widespread support in Congress. If Trump were to veto the bill, lawmakers would likely have enough votes to override the veto, but his refusal to take any action on the legislation leaves it more unclear how it will proceed. It remains to be seen if Republicans will try to move forward with the SAVE America Act as a result, or if they’ll consider abolishing the filibuster, which would allow bills to pass the Senate with a simple majority rather than 60 votes. GOP leadership has so far refused to abolish the filibuster.
This story is breaking and will be updated.