Trump's Housing Veto Gambit
Trump Withholds Signature on Bipartisan Housing Bill, Demanding Broader Election Reforms
Key Points
The bill would require proof of citizenship to register to vote and would create a national voter database using state records, linking housing reform to election integrity measures.
Trump canceled the planned signing ceremony for the housing bill on June 24 to pressure Republicans into passing the separate SAVE America Act.
The housing bill is officially named the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act and passed with broad bipartisan support: House 358-32 and Senate 85-5.
The White House had previously signaled support for the housing legislation, making Trump’s decision to withhold signing a notable reversal and a potential leverage point linked to other voting reforms.
The housing reform package contains no new federal spending, a detail cited as a factor in its broad bipartisan appeal and its remaining unsigned status.
President Donald Trump announced he will not sign a sweeping bipartisan housing bill, calling the move a protest over the Senate's refusal to pass the SAVE America Act, according to Daily Caller. The bill — which passed the House 358-32 and the Senate 85-5 — could still become law automatically if Trump neither signs nor vetoes it within a 10-day window, with a deadline falling at midnight Friday.
The legislation, officially called the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, would speed up environmental reviews for construction and limit how many single-family homes large Wall Street-backed investors can buy. It contains no new federal spending, a key reason it drew rare bipartisan support, KTRH reported.
Trump Cancels Signing Ceremony as Leverage Over Senate
Trump canceled a planned signing ceremony on June 24 to pressure Republican senators into moving on the SAVE America Act. The White House had previously signaled support for the housing bill, making the reversal a notable shift, according to Head Topics. Trump is using a popular, no-cost housing bill as a bargaining chip to force action on his election-reform priorities.
The SAVE America Act would require proof of citizenship to register to vote and create a national voter database built from state records. Trump has made election security a top priority and wants the Senate to act before he rewards them with a win on housing, Daily Caller reported.
Housing Bill Would Curb Wall Street Home Buying
The 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act targets two big drivers of housing costs. First, it cuts red tape on environmental reviews to make construction faster and cheaper. Second, it restricts large institutional investors — firms backed by Wall Street — from buying up single-family homes, according to Power Talk.
The bill adds zero new federal spending, which helped it clear the House with 358 votes and the Senate with 85 votes. Supporters say those two factors — faster building and fewer investor buyouts — would make homes more affordable for everyday buyers without costing taxpayers anything.
Four-Year CBDC Ban Hidden Inside the Housing Bill
Buried inside the housing package is a four-year ban on retail central bank digital currencies, or CBDCs. A CBDC is a digital version of the dollar issued directly by the Federal Reserve. Critics of CBDCs argue they would give the government too much control over how people spend money, according to Head Topics.
The CBDC ban has added a new layer of partisan debate around a bill that was otherwise widely popular. Supporters of the ban call it a win for financial privacy. Opponents say it blocks innovation. Either way, it is now tied to the same political standoff holding up the housing reforms.
Bill Could Become Law Friday Without Trump's Signature
Under the U.S. Constitution, a bill sent to the president becomes law automatically after 10 days if he takes no action — as long as Congress is still in session. That deadline hits at midnight Friday for the housing bill, KTRH reported. Trump could still stop it with a formal veto, but signing is now off the table by his own declaration.
The unusual situation puts Republicans in a bind. The housing bill is popular with voters and costs nothing. But Trump wants SAVE America Act votes first. If he lets the bill become law without his signature, he avoids a veto fight while still sending a message to Senate Republicans, according to Power Talk.
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