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Or sign-in if you have an account.“I make no apologies for standing up to the president, trying to demand that more information be shared with the Senate and more information be shared with the American people,” said Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA). Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty ImagesDonald Trump and Republicans in the U.S. Senate squabbled on Wednesday, as the president abruptly canceled plans to sign a bipartisan housing bill and lawmakers pressed him over his handling of the war in Iran.Enjoy the latest local, national and international news.Exclusive articles by Conrad Black, Barbara Kay and others. 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Plus, special edition NP Platformed and First Reading newsletters and virtual events.Unlimited online access to National Post.National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword.Support local journalism.Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.Access articles from across Canada with one account.Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments.Enjoy additional articles per month.Get email updates from your favourite authors.Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.Access articles from across Canada with one accountShare your thoughts and join the conversation in the commentsEnjoy additional articles per monthGet email updates from your favourite authorsSign In or Create an AccountorTrump’s refusal to sign the legislation came shortly before a private luncheon with Senate Republicans at the U.S. Capitol, where tensions quickly flared.Louisiana Republican Bill Cassidy, whose Senate career Trump helped end, repeatedly criticized the president over the Middle East conflict, while Senate Majority Leader John Thune tried to play peacemaker, a person familiar said.Get a dash of perspective along with the trending news of the day in a very readable format.By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc.A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder.The next issue of NP Posted will soon be in your inbox.We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try againThe president defended his war effort, telling senators he is the first U.S. leader to do something to stop Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon, said another person familiar with the matter, who requested anonymity to describe the closed-door exchange.Cassidy later told reporters that he pushed back against Trump over his criticism of the Senate’s vote one day earlier to curb his ability to wage war with Iran. The senator said that he told Trump that he needed to be more forthcoming with the public about his war aims.“As I recall, he did not particularly care for my comments, raised his voice, I lost my temper. That’s not appropriate, it’s the Irish in me, but I again matched his tone and his volume,” Cassidy said. “I make no apologies for standing up to the president, trying to demand that more information be shared with the Senate and more information be shared with the American people.”Cassidy said “one or two people” also spoke up, but wouldn’t name them.Trump’s decision to delay the housing bill from becoming law spoiled an opportunity for lawmakers in both parties — and the president himself — to tout progress toward addressing voters’ affordability concerns ahead of November’s midterm elections. The clash laid bare the mutual frustration among the president and members of his own party as they face an uphill struggle to keep their congressional majorities.Earlier Wednesday, Trump appeared to be raring for a fight. He posted on social media less than two hours before a planned signing ceremony at the Capitol that he wouldn’t sign the bill until Congress approves voting restrictions that previously failed to pass the Senate.Trump derided the housing legislation, which the House and Senate approved with overwhelming bipartisan majorities, as “of minor importance compared to lower interest rates” and said it “pales in comparison to passing THE SAVE AMERICA ACT,” referring to his voting proposal. In fact, passage of major legislation in the deeply divided Congress has become increasingly rare.In the meeting, Trump pushed Thune to be a leader and force the voter ID measure through his chamber even if it meant scrapping longstanding rules, according to one of the people. Afterward, Trump told reporters that “for the most part we have a really well-unified party” but did not elaborate on the topics of conversation with senators.“We like our leader, we like everybody really in the room, I don’t like a few people, but that’s OK. I think you know who they are,” Trump said.There was “lots of unity, lots of love,” Senator Rand Paul, a Republican who in the past has sparred with Trump, sarcastically told reporters.Despite the flare-up, Republicans in Congress remain largely behind the president. Senator Rick Scott, a Trump loyalist, said he was right to be frustrated with the war-powers vote.“Well, I think if I was the president, I was in the middle of a negotiation to try to protect American lives, I would be frustrated too,” Scott said.In practice, Trump’s move could end up as symbolic. The president has 10 days after the bill is presented to him to either sign or veto it, excluding Sundays, and if no action is taken, it becomes law. House Speaker Mike Johnson said Wednesday that he believes that Trump will sign the bill before that period ends. Trump can sign the legislation regardless of whether lawmakers are in Washington or back in their districts.Johnson plans to meet Trump on Thursday to work out path forward on their legislative agenda, according to a person familiar with the matter.Traders largely shrugged off Trump’s threat. The S&P Composite 1500 Homebuilding index rose by the most in almost a year after Congress passed the sweeping bill and one of the largest players in the space — KB Home — reported earnings Tuesday that topped estimates. While the index slowed its rally after Trump delayed the signing of the bill, analysts still see it becoming law.“A veto would be very bad for the GOP,” Bloomberg Intelligence analyst Nathan Dean said. “Republicans in Congress really need an affordability win, a veto would be disastrous for them.”Still, the decision was just the latest front that Trump opened up against Senate Republicans, with whom he has battled over nominations, the war in Iran and his desire to pass the voting measure. Thune has previously said the votes don’t exist to break a filibuster and pass Trump’s voting bill. The provisions previously failed to pass as an amendment to a broader funding measure. U.S. Senate Majority Leader John Thune and President Donald Trump speak to reporters on the way to a lunch meeting with Senate Republicans at the U.S. Capitol, on June 24, 2026. Photo by Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty ImagesThe “Save America” bill would impose nationwide requirements for Americans to show photo identification and present proof of US citizenship in order to vote.Voters rank the high cost of living, exacerbated by a spike in fuel and housing prices, as their primary issue heading into midterm elections that will determine control of Congress. Housing costs skyrocketed in the wake of the pandemic and have remained high, even as mortgage rates more than doubled in recent years.Top Republicans have repeatedly pleaded with Trump to focus more on economic messaging. The president’s opponents seized on Trump’s decision to delay the bill signing to accuse him of not caring about voters’ pocketbook concerns.“We put together this bill, good for families everywhere, whether they’re Republicans or Democrats. And now Donald Trump acts like a petulant child,” Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren, a co-sponsor of the bill, said Wednesday during a CNBC interview.The housing bill would curb large institutional investors’ ownership of single-family homes, streamline rules around factory-built housing and encourage localities to remove barriers to construction in an attempt to bring more supply to the troubled housing market.Retiring Republican Senator Thom Tillis said it would ultimately be up to Trump to decide when the bill is signed. “We’ve done our work,” he said.Our website is the place for the latest breaking news, exclusive scoops, longreads and provocative commentary. Please bookmark nationalpost.com and sign up for our newsletters here. Join the Conversation This website uses cookies to personalize your content (including ads), and allows us to analyze our traffic. Read more about cookies here. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.