The president said the housing bill was of minor importance compared to election reform.Show Caption
WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump abruptly canceled a signing ceremony on Wednesday for landmark housing affordability legislation, saying he wanted Republicans in Congress to pass a major election reform bill first.In a social media post, Trump said he wouldn't approve the housing reform package "until such time as we pass the desperately needed SAVE AMERICA ACT, which I consider to be a National Emergency."The housing bill, which passed the Senate and House of Representatives this week, was a significant – and rare – bipartisan victory on Capitol Hill. Lawmakers and experts called it a sweeping "first step" in tackling the nation's housing crunch.Stalling the bill's enactment will likely enrage elements of both parties. It dramatically raises the stakes of GOP discord over the SAVE America Act ahead of a planned tête-à-tête with Senate Republicans.Trump made his announcement while Republican leaders in both chambers were busy doing other things. Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-South Dakota, who was scheduled to be at the bill signing, was on the Senate floor speaking about abortion. As he left the chamber, he said he'd just learned of the scheduling change."At this point, I don’t have any observations about that," he told reporters.House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-Louisiana, was in the middle of a press conference. He said he had spoken with the president for 20 minutes earlier in the day and understood the White House's urgency about wanting to pass voting reforms."The president believes in election integrity," Johnson said. "That is the top priority."Several iterations of the SAVE America Act have made their way through the 119th Congress. The main piece of legislation, which Trump has placed atop his Capitol Hill agenda, would require documentary proof of citizenship to vote and instruct states to turn over voter rolls to the Department of Homeland Security, among other changes. It would also create barriers to registration. Voting rights advocates have expressed concern that the bill would potentially disenfranchise millions of voters.Politically, Trump's attempt to shove the bill through Congress has created a major wedge between the White House and Republicans, especially in the Senate. Democrats, meanwhile, have rejoiced in the GOP family drama."Seeing Trump come to the Capitol today to meet Senate Republicans is like watching a clown car pulling up to the circus," Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-New York, said on the Senate floor. "Republicans are wringing each other's necks."Zachary Schermele is the congressional correspondent for USA TODAY. You can reach him by email at zschermele@usatoday.com. Follow him on X at @ZachSchermele and Bluesky at @zachschermele.bsky.social.
