WASHINGTON — Congressional tensions intensified on Wednesday after President Donald Trump halted plans to sign a bipartisan housing measure and instead pressed lawmakers to advance a separate election bill, deepening divisions over legislative priorities on Capitol Hill. The housing legislation had passed both chambers of Congress with broad bipartisan support, while the election proposal faces significant opposition in the Senate.
The measure, known as the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, was approved by large bipartisan majorities in the House and Senate, according to congressional vote records and lawmakers involved in the effort. Supporters from both parties said the bill was designed to address housing affordability by encouraging new construction, reducing regulatory barriers and limiting certain institutional purchases of single-family homes.
Hours before a planned signing ceremony, Trump announced that the event would be canceled until Congress passes the SAVE America Act, a Republican-backed election proposal that would impose stricter voter eligibility and identification requirements in federal elections, according to statements released by the president and congressional leaders.
“Today’s Housing News Conference and Signing is hereby cancelled until such time as we pass the desperately needed SAVE AMERICA ACT,” Trump said in a public statement.
The move drew criticism from Democratic lawmakers, who argued that housing affordability should not be linked to election legislation. Some Republicans also expressed concern that delaying the housing bill could jeopardize a rare bipartisan achievement. Senate Majority Leader John Thune urged the president not to veto or block the measure, citing the strong support it received in Congress, according to remarks reported on Wednesday.
Republican leaders, meanwhile, continued to back efforts to advance the election bill, though Senate rules and partisan divisions have complicated its path forward. Trump met with Senate Republicans on Wednesday to encourage support for the legislation, according to congressional and media reports.
The dispute comes as lawmakers face mounting pressure to address housing costs while also debating election-related policies ahead of the midterm campaign season. Congressional aides said negotiations continued behind closed doors, though details of any compromise remained unclear.
As of Thursday, the housing bill had not been signed into law, and Senate action on the election measure remained uncertain, according to congressional leaders and White House statements.
