Housing bill becomes law without Trump’s signature

President Donald Trump said Friday morning he would not sign a federal bill to lower housing costs, but the bipartisan package went into effect at 12:01 a.m. Saturday anyway.

In one post On his social media page, Trump again said he would not sign it in protest of Congress’ failure to pass an election bill known as the “SAVE America Act,” which he considers a top priority the housing law that both chambers of Congress passed with vast majorities.

If the president does not sign or veto a bill passed by Congress, it becomes law within 10 days, excluding Sundays, of its receipt in the White House. The constitutional provision does not apply when Congress adjourns, resulting in a so-called pocket veto, but the current July 4 recess does not count as an adjournment, experts agree.

The housing package known as The Path to 21st Century Housing ActRevises several areas of housing policy to make it easier for developers to build up-to-date housing units and for potential buyers to secure government-backed loans.

Trump targeted the SAVE America Act in his post.

“I will not sign the housing bill, which has been fully approved by Congress and sent to the White House, in PROTEST against the inability of the U.S. Senate to pass the SAVE AMERICA ACT, which is at 97% with the Republican Party and very high among non-political Democrats,” Trump wrote, exaggerating the bill’s support.

Liked, but not everywhere

There are hardly any public surveys on the SAVE America Act, which, depending on the version of the law, would, among other provisions, require photo IDs for voters and restrict postal voting. However, available polls show that while the bill is generally popular, it is far more controversial than Trump has portrayed.

A May politician Opinion poll showed that when pollsters did not explain the bill’s provisions, more voters supported the bill than opposed it, 37% to 21%, but that a majority of 42% of voters had no opinion. Even in the sample of respondents who voted for Trump in 2024, only 62% said they supported Trump.

When asked about specific elements of the bill, the most frequently mentioned requirement in the Politico poll was the requirement to show proof of citizenship in order to register to vote. 52% of respondents said they supported it, while only 18% were against it.

In the US Senate, Democrats generally reject the bill. And not enough Republicans support eliminating the chamber’s legislative filibuster, which would allow the chamber’s Republican majority to pass bills along party lines.

Consensus housing measure

The housing legislation, on the other hand, met with little resistance.

The measure was passed 85-5 in the Senate and 358-32 in the house. Many of the no votes in the House came from a group of conservatives who followed Trump’s lead and opposed the package not on its merits but as a protest against the Senate’s inaction on election law.

The housing reform consolidates many previous proposals sought by various housing policy interests. This would reduce some regulatory hurdles for housing construction and expand the possible uses of federal housing funds.

The bill would also allow funds from the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Community Development Block Grant program to be used to build affordable housing.

Additionally, it would tie the amount some cities and states receive from the $3.3 billion grant program to their affordable housing construction rates and expand eligibility for some government-backed mortgage programs for low-income people.

The White House initially said Trump supported the bill and planned an unusually high-profile signing ceremony at the U.S. Capitol in tardy June.

But the president changed course just hours before he was set to sign the bill the event canceled. He has since dismissed the housing measure as unimportant compared to the SAVE America Act.