Trump refuses to sign bipartisan housing bill in voter ID protest, but it becomes law at midnight anyway

The bill that Congress passed

Both chambers of Congress approved the 21st Century Road to Housing Act in June with large bipartisan margins. The bill contains more than 40 provisions designed to lower housing costs and increase supply, including measures that make it easier to build new homes, streamline environmental regulations for construction, and limit how many single-family homes institutional investors can buy nationwide. It also loosens restrictions on manufactured housing, no longer requiring homes to be built on a permanent chassis, which opens the door to factory-built houses that do not resemble downscale mobile homes. The legislation arrives as the median price of existing US homes hit an all-time high of $440,660 in June, up 1.8% from $432,700 a year earlier, according to the National Association of Realtors.

Trump’s refusal and the voter ID demand

On Friday morning, Trump posted on Truth Social that he would not sign the housing bill, protesting the Senate’s failure to pass the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act, known as the SAVE Act. That bill would require Americans to provide ID and proof of citizenship to vote. Republicans control both chambers but lack the Senate votes to overcome a Democratic filibuster.

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 called the housing measure “a big yawn” and “so unimportant” compared with the voting legislation. He canceled a signing ceremony last month, surprising lawmakers and housing industry officials who had already received invitations and were en route to the Capitol.

Automatic enactment without a veto

Under US law, a bill passed by Congress and sent to the president becomes law automatically after 10 days if the president takes no action. House Speaker Mike Johnson transmitted the housing bill to Trump’s desk on 29 June, starting that clock. Trump did not mention a veto in his Friday statement, and the White House declined further comment. The bill is therefore set to become law at midnight on Friday without his signature.

Democratic reaction

Democrats criticised Trump for prioritising voting restrictions over housing affordability. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries wrote on X that Republicans “would rather make it harder to vote than easier to afford a home.”

His priorities couldn’t be clearer: higher costs for families and more power for himself.

A version of the SAVE Act passed the House in February. Democrats say the legislation disenfranchises eligible voters, and it remains blocked in the Senate.

A missed political moment

Some congressional observers say the cancelled ceremony and Trump’s dismissive comments represent a lost opportunity for lawmakers from both parties to show voters they are addressing affordability concerns, which surveys indicate rank among the public’s top worries. Julian Zelizer, a history and public affairs professor at Princeton University, said the housing bill is precisely the kind of legislation Republicans and Democrats would want to point to as evidence they are working on issues their voters care about, adding: “That’s not the signal that the administration is sending.”