President Trump wrote in a series of social-media posts Wednesday morning that he would not sign the bipartisan housing legislation, calling passage of the SAVE America Act — a bill that would tighten voter-eligibility rules nationwide — “a national emergency.” The cancellation came hours before a scheduled noon signing ceremony at the Capitol.
The housing bill, which passed both the House and Senate with broad bipartisan support, had been promoted by the White House as a centerpiece of Trump’s affordability agenda. On Tuesday evening, press secretary Karoline Leavitt called it “one of the most significant pieces of housing affordability legislation in American history.”
Trump said the bill was “of minor importance” compared with his other priorities and singled out its backing from Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D., Mass.). The president’s decision surprised lawmakers on Capitol Hill, the Wall Street Journal reported.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Under Article I of the Constitution, a bill passed by Congress automatically becomes law after 10 days, excluding Sundays, if the president takes no action. Because Congress remains in session, the housing legislation would take effect without Trump’s signature — unless he vetoes it, which would require a two-thirds vote in each chamber to override.