WASHINGTON — President Trump abruptly nixed a planned signing ceremony for a massive bipartisan housing package that passed Congress Tuesday, demanding that Republicans move on a voter ID bill first.
“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. Thank you for your attention to this matter!” the president posted on Truth Social Wednesday morning, two hours before he was set to enact the bill.
Earlier, Trump jabbed one of the housing bill’s architects, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), and called on the Senate to abolish its 60-vote filibuster to pass his priorities.
“The Elizabeth ‘Pocahontas’ Warren centric housing bill, which is of minor importance compared to lower interest rates, and even FISA, pales in comparison to passing THE SAVE AMERICA ACT,” he posted.
“Get the bad Republicans to approve it or, better yet, Terminate the Filibuster and approve it, AND EVERYTHING ELSE REPUBLICANS HAVE EVER DREAMED OF. The Dumocrats will do it in hour one, 100%. Republicans will feel very stupid if they don’t do it first. I’ll be watching with tears in my eyes!!!”
Warren told CNBC that Trump’s refusal to sign the bill, which would still become law if he doesn’t ink it within 10 days of being presented, reveals his “complete indifference to the cost squeeze on American families.”
“He could be over here trying to claim a victory lap, and instead he’s saying, ‘No, no.’ He doesn’t want anything to do with it,” she added.
Rep. French Hill (R-Ark.), who also helped pass the bill as chair of the House Financial Services Committee, told NOTUS the president had claimed the legislation was of small importance, “and yet he gave a State of the Union speech that indicated this was a top priority for him. So, we’ve delivered on one of his top priorities.”
The 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act bans institutional investors from buying up certain single-family homes as part of a broader effort to reduce prices.
There are also key provisions elevating the role of small banks in providing home loans and eliminating regulatory barriers.
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) told reporters Wednesday morning that his conference has passed the SAVE Act three times and would be tucking it into a third reconciliation bill to pressure the Senate to take it up again.
The 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act has yet to be officially signed by Johnson and Senate president pro tempore Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), meaning it could be held up for an even longer amount of time than the usual 10 days.
Some Republican-backed bills from the current Congress have been held back from being submitted for Trump’s signature by more than a month.
Trump is planning on meeting with Republican senators later Wednesday to discuss the election law, which requires would-be voters to provide proof of citizenship when registering, among other provisions.
Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) invited the president to Capitol Hill for a lunch at which the SAVE Act would be discussed — despite Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) having repeatedly said there’s no path to passing it.
Thune has claimed that even using the talking filibuster — which has been pushed by Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) as a potential avenue — isn’t a realistic option either.
Trump has also stalled the process of reauthorizing the government’s foreign spy powers by demanding that Manhattan US Attorney nominee Jamie McDonald be confirmed before his pick to become the next Director of National Intelligence Jay Clayton, who has been serving in the Southern District of New York.
The appointment of Bill Pulte, the president’s federal housing director, as acting DNI rankled some GOP senators, as well as Democrats, delaying the extension of FISA Section 702, which expired June 12.
