Harv's Corner 06/29/2026

Harv's Corner

What's new!  Trump has already said he does not consider the public's affordability concerns.

Housing Act Nixed by Trump!

The bill signing was suddenly canceled!
Trump backs out on the Housing Act until voting restrictions are passed.
By MICHAEL GOLD, TONY ROMM, TYLER PAGER and RONDA KAYSEN • The New York Times

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WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump abruptly canceled his plans Wednesday to sign a bipartisan bill aimed at improving housing affordability, upending a celebratory moment for both Democrats and Republicans who had been eager to promote the measure as evidence they were trying to bring down costs.

Just hours before a scheduled victory lap with lawmakers at the Capitol, Trump said in a social media post that he would not sign the legislation until Congress passed an unrelated law to impose new restrictions on voter identification and mail-in voting.

That bill, known as the SAVE America Act, has been stalled in the Senate, where solid Democratic opposition has prevented it from advancing past the 60-vote threshold required to overcome the filibuster.

That dynamic appeared little changed in the hours after the president issued his new ultimatum, which came with just over four months until the midterm elections.

The demand nonetheless generated fierce blowback from congressional Democrats and puzzlement from a handful of Republicans, on a day when Trump joined GOP senators for a private lunch. And it angered those who had worked most closely on the housing package, the byproduct of more than a year of fierce debate and compromise after decades of inaction on one of the most pressing financial issues facing families.

By Wednesday afternoon, much remained uncertain about the president's exact plans for the housing package. Trump did not say whether he intended to cancel only the signing ceremony or to take the added step of vetoing a bill his aides had previously said he would enact.

If the president chooses only to forgo the signing, however, the measure could still become law. When Congress is in session, legislation can generally become law 10 days after a bill is enrolled and presented to the president. It was not immediately clear if the bill had been presented to the White House.

Still, Trump's decision threatened to deprive Republicans, in particular, of an opportunity to showcase a legislative success in a year with very few of them — one that spoke directly to voters' economic concerns. The timing of his threat only added to the awkwardness, with it arriving just as House Republican leaders were championing the housing bill during a weekly news conference.

"House Republicans are going to be the party that governs and delivers," said Rep. Tom Emmer of Minnesota, the No 3. House Republicans, seemingly unaware of Trump's social media post.

The White House had similarly promoted the bill — the first major piece of housing legislation to be adopted in more than 30 years — and had shared an equally supportive statement about its components Tuesday night.

But on Wednesday, Trump said the bill was "of minor importance" and that it "pales in comparison" to his preferred elections legislation. He once again urged Republicans to eliminate the filibuster to pass the elections bill, even as Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., the majority leader, has said it does not have enough support among his conference to do so.

Trump also said the housing bill was not as crucial as "lower interest rates" and called it "Warren-centric," along with a racial slur to refer to Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., the ranking member on the Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee. The White House did not respond to a request for comment.

While Trump focused on Warren's involvement in the bill, the measure cleared both chambers with overwhelming support this week, a rarity in hyperpartisan Washington. It was the culmination of a long negotiation involving Warren and others, including Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., the Banking Committee chair, and Rep. French Hill, R-Ark., who chairs a similar panel in the House.

The measure aims to lower housing costs by making it easier and cheaper to construct new homes. Spanning roughly 380 pages, the 21st Century Road to Housing Act reduces a bevy of federal regulations and seeks to incentivize more development at the local level, adopting an approach that generally won broad support among economists and housing experts.

The measure even includes some of Trump's own priorities, such as a new prohibition on large investors that snap up single-family homes, which the president tried to tackle in a limited executive order earlier this year.

Both parties had celebrated the bill as a way to make housing more affordable. Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., the minority leader, accused Trump on Wednesday morning of "running away from one of the very few accomplishments that could actually help the American people."

Some Republicans also seemed uncomfortable with the move. Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, who is among the most vulnerable Republicans running for re-election this year, later called Trump's announcement a "complete surprise." The bill, she said, "has strong bipartisan, bicameral support."

Yet Trump had at times been dismissive of the housing package, telling the Washington Examiner in April that he was "looking at other things very strongly."

Then and now, Trump argued that the most important force to lower housing costs would be a reduction in interest rates, which could ultimately help push down mortgage bills. Rates on a 30-year mortgage have hovered around 6.5%, which has deterred some families from buying new homes and priced many out of the market altogether.

Reacting to the news, Warren sharply criticized Trump in an appearance on CNBC, saying the decision to cancel the signing "made clear that he isn't worried about families' rising expenses." 

"This just doesn't make any sense, other than whatever it is he wants to do is a complete indifference to the cost squeeze on American families, and to genuine efforts to do something about it," she added. "You know, he could be over here trying to claim a victory lap, and instead he's saying no, no, he doesn't want anything to do with it."