Trump Refuses To Sign Landmark Housing Bill, Demanding Congress Pass Voter Id Law

WASHINGTON — President Trump said Wednesday he would not motion nan landmark lodging bill Congress passed this week, successful a striking determination to jeopardize a uncommon bipartisan occurrence and an escalation successful his conflict pinch Senate Republicans complete his favored elector ID legislation.

Trump demanded connected Truth Social that Congress walk nan SAVE America Act, nan voting proof-of-citizenship bill, earlier he would see nan lodging legislation. Tension betwixt Trump and Senate Republicans had already neared a breaking point this week complete nan bill, which leaders person told him does not person nan votes to pass.

“Today’s Housing News Conference and Signing is hereby cancelled until specified clip arsenic we walk nan desperately needed SAVE AMERICA ACT, which I see to beryllium a National Emergency,” Trump wrote online.

The president’s scuttling of a measure that could person helped his statement successful nan midterm elections and that he could person framed arsenic a triumph connected affordability showed a singular willingness to rustle up a celebrated measurement that Republicans had worked to pass.

The lodging bill, which passed pinch overwhelming support successful nan House connected Tuesday evening and nan Senate connected Monday, intends to boost lodging supply. It is nan astir important authorities Congress has passed connected lodging successful much than 30 years, and it contains a big of provisions aimed astatine removing regulatory barriers, improving national programs and incentivizing caller building.

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) told reporters Wednesday that he had already spoken to Trump astir “delaying” nan lodging measure and had discussed making an effort to beforehand nan SAVE America Act.

“He decided — I didn’t denote it, I wanted him to denote it — but we’re delaying this,” Johnson said. “As you know, he has a model of clip earlier he has to motion a measure and he’s going to usage a small spot much of that model of clip and we’re gonna spell done this together.”

The voting measure is portion of Trump’s effort to assert national power complete elections. Voting authorities advocates opportunity it would create unnecessary barriers to voting for citizens.

The authorities would require voters to supply impervious of citizenship erstwhile they register, require Americans show recognition erstwhile casting a ballot and require states to nonstop elector information to nan Department of Homeland Security.

The effort is rooted successful Trump’s baseless claims of elector fraud and cheating by Democrats; he has said nan measure would “guarantee” nan midterms for Republicans.

Trump’s reversal connected nan lodging measure besides underscored his evident indifference to nan cost-of-living issues that voters are astir focused on. He has many times dismissed affordability arsenic a “fake” concept, and inaccurately claimed connected Sunday that nan U.S. has nan “BEST ECONOMY EVER.”

Last week, polls from NPR/PBS News/Marist Poll and Fox News poll showed grounds dissatisfaction pinch nan system among Americans and Trump’s support slipping among cardinal demographics. Trump besides lashed retired astir that connected Truth Social connected Wednesday morning, penning without evidence: “MY REAL POLL NUMBERS ARE THE HIGHEST THEY HAVE EVER BEEN. THANK YOU!!!”

Less than an hr earlier he posted online that he had canceled nan measure signing, Trump branded nan authorities “the Elizabeth ‘Pocahontas’ Warren centric lodging bill” successful a Truth Social post, and railed astir nan SAVE America Act.

“That is what Americans, some Dumocrats, Republicans, and everyone else, attraction about. Get nan bad Republicans to o.k. it or, amended yet, Terminate nan Filibuster and o.k. it, AND EVERYTHING ELSE REPUBLICANS HAVE EVER DREAMED OF,” Trump wrote.

Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), who was 1 of nan 4 bipartisan lawmakers starring nan woody crossed nan 2 chambers, said Wednesday greeting connected CNBC that Trump’s reversal “doesn’t make immoderate sense.”

“It’s a complete indifference to nan costs compression connected American families and to genuine efforts to do thing astir it,” Warren said. “He could beryllium complete present claiming a triumph thigh and alternatively he’s saying no, no, he doesn’t want thing to do pinch it.”