President Donald Trump canceled a Capitol signing ceremony for a bipartisan housing package and told Republicans he would not sign it until Congress passes the SAVE America Act, while also confronting GOP senators who rebuked his handling of the Iran war.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
President Donald Trump’s visit to the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday shifted from a planned housing bill signing into a clash with congressional Republicans over election legislation and the war with Iran.
Trump had been scheduled to sign a bipartisan housing affordability bill during a public ceremony intended to highlight Republican action on rising housing costs before the November midterm elections. Instead, he canceled the event about two hours before it was set to begin and said he would not approve the measure until Congress passes the SAVE America Act, his priority election bill.
“Today’s Housing News Conference and Signing is hereby cancelled until such time as we pass the desperately needed SAVE AMERICA ACT, which I consider to be a National Emergency,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
The SAVE America Act would require proof of citizenship to register to vote and photo identification to cast a ballot. Trump and supporters of the measure say it is needed to protect election integrity. Democrats oppose the bill, describing it as an attack on voting rights.
The proposal has stalled in the Senate, where Republican leaders have told Trump it does not currently have enough support to clear the chamber’s procedural hurdles.
Trump continued pressing for the bill during a lunch meeting with Senate Republicans. He has repeatedly maintained that he won the 2020 election but was denied victory because of fraud.
The meeting also turned to the Iran war after four Republican senators joined Democrats the previous day in supporting a largely symbolic resolution directing Trump to end hostilities with Iran or seek congressional authorization to continue them.
According to media reports, Trump challenged senators over the vote during the closed-door gathering.
Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana later said Trump asked why any Republican had backed the measure.
“I stood and said: ‘You have not told the American people what’s going on. It was supposed to last four weeks; it’s lasted four months. Our original objectives have not been achieved and I want to know what’s going on,’” Cassidy said, according to The Hill and CNN.
Cassidy lost a Louisiana primary election in May to a Trump-backed Republican and is not eligible to seek re-election in November.
After leaving the meeting, Trump suggested he remained frustrated with some Republicans.
“I don’t like a few people, but that’s OK — I think you know who they are,” Trump told reporters.
The war powers vote came as Trump works to turn a preliminary agreement with Iran into a final settlement after months of conflict that unsettled global energy markets and exposed divisions inside his party.
As he entered the lunch with Senate Majority Leader John Thune, Trump did not answer questions about whether he would sign the housing bill. Instead, he said the Middle East “war is going very well” and that “Iran is making very big concessions.”
The housing bill had passed Congress with broad bipartisan support and had been presented by Republicans as a concrete response to affordability concerns. The measure is intended to increase housing supply, reduce construction barriers and expand access to home ownership while Americans continue facing high rents, elevated mortgage rates and a shortage of available homes.
Trump had previously supported the package, which would have allowed him to promote efforts to reduce living costs amid persistent inflation that has been partly driven by the Iran war.
On Wednesday, however, Trump called the housing measure a matter of “minor importance” and said it “pales in comparison” with passage of the SAVE America Act.
His refusal to sign the housing bill may have limited practical effect. Under the Constitution, a bill becomes law after 10 days if the president does not sign or veto it while Congress remains in session.
Trump also canceled a Senate confirmation hearing last week for his nominee for director of national intelligence, saying the election bill should be handled first.
Supporters of the SAVE America Act say the legislation would strengthen election security. Opponents say voter fraud is rare and argue the requirements would place heavier burdens on minority voters, married women and others who may have more difficulty accessing the required documents.
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