Trump Holds Bipartisan Housing Bill Hostage

A bipartisan housing bill championed by both chambers of Congress is in uncharted waters after the president abruptly canceled a signing ceremony for the legislation.

Hours before Donald Trump was expected to put pen to paper on the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, the president called the proceedings off, NBC News reported. The cancellation of the ceremony doesn’t necessarily mean Trump is vetoing the bill or even tabling it for now; the White House did not provide comment to the publication.

But it appears the president is using the bill as leverage to secure passage of the SAVE America Act. That legislation revolves around election overhauls, including updated proof of citizenship and voter ID requirements. Opposition to the measure is strong among Democrats and Republicans haven’t budged on eliminating the legislative filibuster, which would ostensibly clear the way for a Trump signature policy win.

“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,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.

Earlier on Wednesday, Trump took another broadside at the housing bill on Truth Social, claiming it was of “minor importance.” Legislators likely disagree as affordability continues to be a key issue in the midterm elections.

When the Senate overwhelmingly passed the housing bill at the beginning of the week, it seemed to have the support of the White House, which said through a spokesperson that the administration was “proud to have worked alongside our partners in Congress to move this legislation forward that advances the President’s housing affordability agenda.” It passed the House of Representatives shortly thereafter.

The legislation includes a ban on large institutional investors purchasing single-family homes — an issue Trump himself raised this year — while excluding a previously debated mandate requiring build-to-rent investors to sell rental homes within seven years.

The bill also aims to boost housing supply by streamlining environmental reviews, offering grants for rebuilding aging properties and expanding the definition of manufactured housing to help developers bypass local zoning issues.

— Holden Walter-Warner