Trump abruptly delays signing of 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act

President Donald Trump on Wednesday abruptly canceled a planned signing ceremony for a bipartisan housing bill, saying he would withhold action on the measure until Congress passes the SAVE America Act, a sweeping election bill that has become a centerpiece of his second-term agenda.

Trump was scheduled to sign the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act on Wednesday afternoon, less than 24 hours after the bill passed the House of Representatives after clearing the Senate.

The housing package, which passed the House in a 358-32 vote, seeks to lower the cost of homeownership and expand the nation’s housing supply while reflecting priorities shared by Congress and the White House.

But in a post on Truth Social on Wednesday morning, Trump announced that the housing bill signing would not move forward.

“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 in his post.

The president has repeatedly urged lawmakers to pass the SAVE America Act, which would establish nationwide election standards and impose new voter identification and proof-of-citizenship requirements. The House approved the SAVE America Act in February, and the measure has garnered widespread support among Republicans.

But without backing from Democrats, the party lacks the 60 votes required to overcome the Senate filibuster and advance the legislation.

James Harris, CEO of real estate software firm Breezy, said in a statement that “housing affordability is one of the biggest issues facing Americans today. Anything that helps increase supply and improve affordability is a step in the right direction. Delaying action only makes homeownership more challenging for buyers who are already struggling with high prices and mortgage rates.”

According to analysts at Keefe, Bruyette & Woods, the final version of the bill represents a “broad yet incremental, supply-oriented housing package focused on incentivizing new construction, modernizing federal housing programs, and expanding financing access.

“Overall, the bill emphasizes zoning reform, streamlined permitting, and federal incentives to increase supply, while pairing these with modest tenant protections and programmatic expansions, suggesting a constructive but balanced outcome for residential real estate sectors,” the analysts wrote on Wednesday.

The 21st Century ROAD to Housing package was negotiated by congressional leaders from both parties, including Sens. Tim Scott (R-Fla.) and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), as well as Reps. French Hill (R-Ark.) and Maxine Waters (D-Calif.).

If Trump neither signs nor vetoes the bill within 10 days, excluding Sundays, while Congress remains in session, the bill automatically becomes law.

Earlier Wednesday morning, Trump downplayed the significance of the housing legislation in a separate social media post, describing it as “of minor importance” before returning his focus to the SAVE America Act.

In that post, Trump criticized Warren and referred to the legislation as a “Warren-centric housing bill,” despite the measure’s bipartisan backing.

“This has to be the most unsavvy political move I’ve ever seen,” Stephen Kent of the Consumer Choice Center said in a statement. “Voters are telling pollsters again and again that access to housing and the price tag on new single-family homes and apartments is the number one issue underlying concerns over ‘affordability.'”

“What we’re witnessing is one of the biggest slaps in the face to consumers and American families in recent memory,” Kent added. “Americans, particularly young people, have all but given up on this foundation block of the American Dream — home ownership. It means something to people, the same people who voted President Trump into office. It’s a real betrayal to hold up this legislation, and we can only hope that a veto is not what comes next.”