A bipartisan housing bill passed by Congress this week is no longer set to become law Wednesday.
President Donald Trump canceled his plans to sign the 21st Century Road to Housing Act after demanding passage of a voter identification bill.
“Today’s Housing News Conference and Signing is hereby canceled until such time as we pass the desperately needed SAVE AMERICA ACT, which I consider to be a National Emergency,” he wrote in a social media post.
House Speaker Mike Johnson told reporters that he is meeting with Trump this afternoon and that he expects the president to sign the bill into law before it lapses in 10 days.
While Road to Housing had garnered broad bipartisan support, a group of several dozen congressional Republicans refused to vote for it unless the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act passed.
Sen. Elizabeth Warren, a Democrat from Massachusetts, decried the move in a Wednesday social media post.
Huge bipartisan majorities in Congress passed a bill to lower housing costs.
— Elizabeth Warren (@SenWarren) June 24, 2026
But at the 11th hour, Donald Trump is refusing to sign it into law. His policies have made your costs go up — and he doesn't care. pic.twitter.com/BmcwGxCaNs
Trump's announcement that the signing ceremony was canceled came after he penned a post criticizing Warren's involvement in Road to Housing.
“The Elizabeth 'Pocahontas' Warren centric housing bill, which is of minor importance compared to lower interest rates, and even (the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act), pales in comparison to passing THE SAVE AMERICA ACT,” he said.
“That is what Americans, both Dumocrats, Republicans, and everyone else, care about.”
The SAVE America Act would require voters to provide a photo ID to prove their U.S. citizenship. There is already a legal requirement of citizenship to vote, and research has shown that instances of noncitizen voting are rare.
The House passed the legislation in February, but the Senate rejected it earlier this month.
Some House Republicans see the Road to Housing as an opportunity to gain leverage over their Senate counterparts.
“Pass the SAVE America Act, or we will not move your bills,” U.S. Rep Randy Fine, a Republican from Florida, said in a Tuesday social media post directed at Senate Majority Leader John Thune, another Republican. “Only American citizens should vote in our elections. That’s not negotiable.”
It is unclear where the legislative process moves from here. Trump has the power to veto the bill, but his Wednesday social media posts only discuss declining to sign it into law.
Johnson said that Road to Housing is “of minor importance” compared to the SAVE America Act, but he still expects Trump to sign it.
“He has a window of time before he has to sign a bill, and he’s going to use a little bit more of that window,” the speaker said.
National Housing Law Project CEO Shamus Roller said it has become harder to predict Trump’s behavior in recent months.
“The president has become increasingly erratic,” he said. “I certainly didn’t think this thing was done until he actually had his signature on it.”
Support from congressional Republicans came as Trump signaled that he was behind the bill.
If the president does decide to veto it, Roller said Congress could vote to override him, but it would be a politically fraught move for Republicans.
“Are the Republicans willing to override the veto?” he said. “That’s really different than passing the bill.”
Roller said it is possible that a backroom deal could be reached to get Trump on board again in the coming days.
“Whether there’s some compromise or not, it’s hard to say,” he said. “It kind of depends on what mood he’s in that day.”
The National Multifamily Housing Council stumped for the bill's passage in a Wednesday afternoon statement.
“Members of both parties and the House and Senate voted overwhelmingly in favor of amended 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act because it lowers costs, improves affordability and expands housing opportunity for those in search of a home,” the statement says.
“Critically, it preserves and protects Build-to-Rent homes which play a vital role in providing more rental housing that the nation needs. NMHC and our members hope the legislation is quickly enacted and we look forward to celebrating that achievement with Members of Congress and the Administration.”
Bisnow has reached out to Warren, Rep. Maxine Waters and Rep. French Hill. None of them immediately responded to requests for comment. A staffer for Sen. Tim Scott declined to comment.
UPDATE, JUNE 24, 3:10 P.M. ET: This story has been updated to additional context and comments from lawmakers and stakeholders.
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