Trump Delays Housing Bill Until Congress Passes Voter ID Measure

President Donald Trump on Wednesday halted plans to sign a bipartisan housing affordability bill into law, declaring that he will not approve the legislation until Congress passes a nationwide voter ID measure known as the SAVE America Act. The unexpected move leaves the housing package, which received overwhelming bipartisan support in both chambers of Congress, awaiting further action.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump announced that the scheduled bill-signing ceremony and press conference were “hereby cancelled” until lawmakers approve the SAVE America Act. Earlier the same day, Trump criticized the housing legislation on the platform, describing it as “of minor importance” compared with lowering interest rates and advancing the voter ID proposal. He also took issue with the involvement of Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., who helped lead the legislation.

The 21st Century Road to Housing Act cleared the House by a vote of 358-32 and passed the Senate 85-5 before being sent to the White House. The legislation contains a broad package of housing reforms designed to improve affordability by reducing certain federal regulations to speed up home construction, increasing some mortgage loan limits, strengthening grant programs for affordable housing development and home repairs, expanding access to small-dollar mortgages and increasing oversight of public housing administration. It also creates a helpline for tenants facing eviction from federally assisted housing, authorizes studies on housing for elderly and disabled Americans, establishes a new affordable housing grant pilot program and limits institutional investors that already own large housing portfolios from purchasing additional homes, a policy Trump previously supported.

The president’s position ties the bill’s future to the SAVE America Act, legislation that would require proof of U.S. citizenship to register to vote, mandate photo identification at polling places and direct states to remove voters from registration rolls if citizenship documentation is not provided. Even voters who are already registered would have to verify their citizenship to remain on the rolls. Democrats and voting rights advocates oppose the proposal, arguing it could disenfranchise eligible voters who lack passports, birth certificates or other required documentation, create challenges for people whose legal names differ from birth records, such as many married women, and increase concerns over states sharing sensitive voter information with the federal government.

Trump has promoted the SAVE America Act for years as part of his campaign against voter fraud, despite evidence showing such fraud is extremely rare. Because of Democratic opposition, the legislation has faced long odds in Congress, prompting Trump to urge Republicans to eliminate the Senate filibuster to improve its chances of passage. According to CBS, Trump was also scheduled to meet with Republican lawmakers during a Wednesday lunch to rally support for the bill.

The housing legislation now remains in limbo. While Congress likely has enough bipartisan support to override a presidential veto, Trump has not vetoed the measure and instead is withholding his signature. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., told reporters he still expects Trump to sign the bill within the next 10 days and said Republicans intend to attach the SAVE America Act’s voter ID provisions to a spending bill that may have a clearer path through Congress. How that strategy unfolds, and when the housing legislation could ultimately become law, remains uncertain.

Republican lawmakers largely avoided criticizing Trump’s decision. Johnson said the president had “expressed his priority and preference of the SAVE America Act” and noted that House Republicans support that goal. He also praised the housing package, saying he believes Trump will recognize that it is “a good product and something that fulfills his promises” after reviewing its details. Rep. French Hill, R-Ark., who led the housing bill, told NOTUS he was “not frustrated” because he does not decide when legislation is signed.

Democrats sharply criticized the delay, arguing it undermines efforts to address rising housing costs. Warren told CNBC, “This just doesn’t make any sense,” accusing Trump of showing “complete indifference to the cost squeeze on American families.” She added that the president “could be over here, trying to claim a victory lap,” but instead “really doesn’t care about American families.”