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

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.

Industry supports affordability push

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.”

Jason Madiedo, CEO of SimplyPMG, said that the legislation is a “long-term lever, not an overnight fix.”

“Institutional investors have absolutely played a role in pushing up home prices, specifically in markets with a concentrated supply of lower-priced homes, something I’ve witnessed firsthand,” Madiedo said in a statement. “But I want to be clear about the scale. It’s been localized; it’s not a nationwide story. In specific pockets of the country, large investors and ‘i-buyers’ bought homes priced at the lower end of the market and flipped them, inflating prices. This situation was compounded by a housing supply that simply couldn’t keep pace with demand.”

The Community Home Lenders of America (CHLA) said it is “confident” that the legislation will soon become law.

“CHLA is confident these issues will resolve themselves and this bipartisan housing bill will soon become law. Both homeownership and rental housing affordability are a significant challenge and this bill has a number of constructive provisions to add to the toolbox to address these challenges,” the trade group said in a statement.

Democrats react: ‘Think beyond yourself and sign the bill’

Shortly after the announcement that Trump would not be signing the bill, Warren, Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) announced that they would hold a press conference on Wednesday afternoon alongside other House and Senate Democrats.

Schumer opened the event by criticizing Trump’s decision.

“Trump’s petty refusal to sign our bipartisan bill shows how reluctant he is to do anything that would help the American people,” Schumer said.

Warren, Waters and House Minority Whip Katherine Clark (D-Mass.) emphasized the need for the legislation, pointing to rising housing costs and broader affordability challenges facing Americans.

Waters said that Trump’s decision was a disappointment not only for Democrats but also for Republicans who supported the legislation. She said she was “deeply grateful” for her partnership with Rep. French Hill (R-Ark.) throughout the process.

“We worked in lockstep to keep the bill on course, while including every proposal possible to bring relief to our constituents and communities,” she said.

Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) said the delay is already affecting residents in her state. “Mr. President, it is time to think beyond yourself and sign the bill,” she said.

Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.) also condemned Trump’s decision, arguing that the president had missed an opportunity to provide relief to working families.

“Eighteen months into Donald Trump’s second term, and life is worse for everybody except the ultra-wealthy,” Warnock said. “Today, the president had an opportunity to do something for ordinary people, for working Americans, and instead he has managed once again to make the story about himself.”