House Speaker Mike Johnson said he will send the housing affordability bill to President Donald Trump after a dispute over the SAVE America Act delayed a planned signing ceremony.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
House Speaker Mike Johnson said Sunday that a bipartisan housing affordability bill will be sent to President Donald Trump on Monday, days after the president delayed signing the measure while urging Republicans to advance a separate voter ID proposal.
“It’s passed by both chambers. I’m sending it to him on Monday, and it will become law,” Johnson, R-La., said during a televised interview.
The housing legislation has already cleared both chambers of Congress. Trump canceled a planned signing ceremony Wednesday as he pressed Republican lawmakers to move forward with the SAVE America Act, a voting measure that would require photo identification for federal elections and proof of U.S. citizenship to register to vote.
The SAVE America Act would also require states to provide voter registration rolls to the federal government. The measure passed the House in February but has stalled in the Senate, where it faces strong Democratic opposition.
Johnson met with Trump on Thursday to discuss how Republicans could move the voting legislation and reschedule the housing bill signing.
Supporters of Trump’s voting proposal want to attach the SAVE America Act to a special budget reconciliation package, which could pass the Senate with 51 Republican votes under certain conditions. They also want Republicans to overrule the Senate parliamentarian if the voting language is deemed ineligible for reconciliation, as it was earlier this year.
Democrats oppose the legislation, saying the voter ID requirements would make it harder for thousands of Americans to vote, especially in heavily Democratic districts.
Because the housing bill has passed both the House and Senate, it can become law even if Trump does not sign it. Under the Constitution, once the president receives a bill, he has 10 days to sign or veto it. If he takes no action and Congress remains in session, the bill becomes law without his signature.
Johnson said he has spoken with Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., and urged him to pursue passage of the voting measure.
“He’s got a big challenge on his hands, of course, and I’ve encouraged him to do everything possible within his power to move it. I believe he will,” Johnson said. “We’ll send them over a provision that fits.”
The housing bill’s move to Trump’s desk signals that Republican leaders are proceeding with the affordability legislation while still seeking a path for the SAVE America Act in the Senate. The dispute had briefly tied the two measures together, with Trump using the housing bill signing as leverage to press for election legislation.
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