President Donald Trump abruptly canceled the planned signing ceremony for the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act on Wednesday, demanding Congress first pass the SAVE America Act.
In a statement on Truth Social, Trump declared: “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. Thank you for your attention to this matter!”
The housing package, which passed the House by a 358–32 vote and cleared the Senate with wide bipartisan support, aims to lower housing costs by expanding supply, easing zoning regulations, and restricting large institutional investors from purchasing single-family homes.
Despite the cancellation, the bill may become law within 10 days if Congress remains in session and Trump does not veto it.
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) appeared to take Trump’s move in stride during a press conference on Capitol Hill. “That is the top priority,” Johnson said, emphasizing that ensuring safe elections is critical for the constitutional republic. “If you do not have safe elections in this grand experiment in self-governance that we have in a constitutional republic, you don’t have anything. We have to ensure it. We have to press for election integrity measures.”
Johnson stated he spoke with Trump for roughly 20 minutes Wednesday morning and assured reporters the delay is strategic. “The housing bill is a great product,” Johnson said. “We’re addressing the affordability problem in housing. When interest rates are high and costs are high, it makes the barrier to entry so high that young families can’t get into houses anymore.”
Johnson also dismissed concerns about a potential Trump veto: “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 of time, and we’re going to go through this together.” He added, “So, 10 days is my estimation. He’ll do it within that 10-day window.”
Johnson noted the SAVE America Act, which requires voter ID and proof of citizenship, has stalled in the Senate due to lack of Democrat support. Republicans have offered multiple versions of the bill but Senate Democrats have blocked every attempt.
“The only path,” Johnson said, “to get that done … you have to put it on a reconciliation bill.” He explained that budget reconciliation is the congressional process that allows the Senate to bypass the filibuster.
Johnson reiterated that passing the SAVE America Act must be the top priority: “He’s laser focused on SAVE America Act, as most common-sense Americans are.”
