Housing Bill to Become Law Without Trump’s Support

The 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act is becoming law at the stroke of midnight, and President Donald Trump is putting up a protest.

The president is refusing to put his signature on the bipartisan housing legislation, the Associated Press reported, in protest over the lack of passage for the SAVE America Act, a bill that would require proof of U.S. citizenship and identity to vote. By choosing not to take action for or against the bill, it will automatically become law following a 10-day period for him to act.

“I will not sign the Housing Bill, which has been fully approved by Congress and sent to the White House, in PROTEST over the fact that the United States Senate is not capable of passing THE SAVE AMERICA ACT,” Trump said on social media, referencing a bill with controversial election overhaul provisions.

His decision not to put pen to paper doesn’t impact the ability of the law to be enacted, but it does give Democrats a political chip ahead of the midterms. Democratic Sens. Chuck Schumer and Elizabeth Warren were among those to point out how affordability doesn’t appear to be a priority for the president.

Trump was initially expected to sign the law two weeks ago, only to abruptly cancel a signing ceremony to lodge his protest regarding the SAVE America Act. At the time, he said the housing bill was of “minor importance.”

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.

Both chambers of Congress passed the bill after a lengthy negotiating and reconciliation process. The Senate approved it with an 85-5 vote, while the House passed it with an 358-32 vote.

— Holden Walter-Warner