President Donald Trump has scrapped Wednesday's signing of a housing bill until Congress passes voting legislation known as the SAVE Act.
The ROAD to Housing Act, a bipartisan measure aimed at speeding up the construction and availability of more affordable housing, passed in the House on Tuesday in a 358-32 vote, after the Senate approved it the day before in an 85-5 vote.
The president has been pushing Republicans and Democrats to pass the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, which would require a valid ID before registering to vote in a federal election. It would also implement other measures that Trump said would protect federal elections from fraud and abuse.
The landmark housing bill was authored by Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.).
On Tuesday, Warren applauded Congress for passing her bipartisan housing bill, saying it would build more housing, lower costs, and stop private equity's housing grab.
By signing the bill, Trump would turn it into law.
When pressed by reporters about Trump’s decision to cancel the housing bill signing, House Speaker Mike Johnson said he shares the president’s push to prioritize the SAVE Act. Johnson noted that the House passed it three times. The latest version was passed a few months ago, but has since been stuck in the Senate.
“We have to press for election integrity measures, and that’s why we’ve made it a top priority,” Johnson said, further blaming Democrats for opposing the SAVE Act.
The only path forward, according to Johnson, is to tie the SAVE Act under the reconciliation bill.
Trump has repeatedly said that if anyone wants to register to vote in the United States, they must be an American citizen. He has also publicly stated that he would not support any Republican who doesn’t support the bill.
The president and many Senate Republicans grew divided over whether Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) should bypass Democratic opposition to the SAVE America Act by ending the filibuster, changing its interpretation, or removing the Senate parliamentarian.
Trump continues to increase pressure on Senate Republicans after Thune said he does not believe there are enough votes to pass the bipartisan voting legislation.