President Donald Trump announced Friday that he will not sign the bipartisan 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, saying his decision is a protest against the Senate’s failure to pass the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE America) Act.
In a lengthy post on Truth Social, Trump sharply criticized lawmakers for allowing the election-related legislation to stall, calling its failure to advance unacceptable and warning of political consequences for those who oppose it.
“THE SAVE AMERICA ACT’S non-passage is CRAZY, and a serious threat to any politician who votes against it!” Trump wrote.
The president also urged Senate Republicans to eliminate the legislative filibuster in order to move the bill forward. Trump argued that if Democrats regain control of the Senate, they would eliminate the parliamentary procedure themselves.
“The Dumocrats will TERMINATE THE FILIBUSTER, if and when they ever get the chance to do so, in their very first hour,” Trump wrote. “And I will no longer be able to call them Dumocrats again! The title of DUMB will revert to the Republicans who allowed this horrible calamity to happen to our Party, and our Nation, itself!”
Trump’s comments came just hours before the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act was scheduled to become law automatically at midnight if it was neither signed nor vetoed by the president.
Although Trump has made clear he does not intend to sign the legislation, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) said the president will not block the measure from becoming law.
“He won’t veto the bill. We already know that,” Johnson said during an interview with USA Today. “He’ll either allow it to just go into law, or he’ll put his signature on it and take partial ownership, and I hope he does the latter.”
The president first signaled his opposition to signing the housing package last month, when he unexpectedly canceled a planned bill-signing ceremony at the U.S. Capitol.
At the time, Trump said he would not sign the legislation until Congress passed the SAVE America Act, linking the two measures despite the housing bill having already cleared Congress.
The 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act includes a series of housing-related provisions intended to increase available housing and encourage redevelopment.
According to the legislation, the bill would roll back certain permitting regulations while restricting corporations from purchasing single-family homes.
It also includes incentives for developers to convert vacant or abandoned buildings into housing, with the goal of expanding the available housing supply.
In addition, the measure would provide grants and loans to assist people in rebuilding older homes.
Despite Trump’s refusal to sign the bill, it was set to become law automatically at midnight unless it was vetoed.
The president’s decision underscores his continued push for passage of the SAVE America Act, with Trump making clear that he views the election legislation as a higher priority and urging Senate Republicans to take additional steps to bring it across the finish line.
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