U.S. Sen. Chris Van Hollen, a Democrat from Maryland, speaks to reporters after a meeting between Maryland’s congressional delegation and Gov. Wes Moore, a Democrat, at the U.S. Capitol, Thursday, June 25, 2026. Standing behind Van Hollen from left are Democratic U.S. Reps. Kweisi Mfume and Johnny Olszewski and Republican U.S. Rep. Andy Harris. (Photo by Amelia Twyman/States Newsroom)
WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. lawmakers from Maryland vowed at a news conference at the Capitol on Thursday to remain focused on affordable housing initiatives for state residents and beyond, criticizing President Donald Trump’s refusal to sign legislation landmark bipartisan bill.
Senator Chris Van Hollen, along with Democratic Representatives April McClain Delaney, Johnny Olszewski, Kweisi Mfume, Sarah Elfreth and Steny Hoyer, answered questions on a wide range of topics after their afternoon meeting with Maryland Governor Wes Moore, with housing being the focus of the discussion.
Rep. Andy Harris, the only Republican at the event, did not comment.
Van Hollen noted the state program Thursday but reiterated that federal legislation will be key to solving Maryland’s housing problems. He highlighted the bill’s provisions aimed at increasing the supply of affordable housing, restricting hedge funds from buying single-family homes and helping veterans buy homes.
“I know the governor has a major affordable housing initiative and I have discussed this with him many times,” Van Hollen said. “But Congress had and still has the opportunity to do its part.”
Trump on Wednesday abruptly canceled the apartment renovation signing ceremony passed with wide margins in the Senate on Monday and the House of Representatives on Tuesday.
Shortly before he was set to sign the bill, Trump first discredited the measure and then announced that he refused to sign it in full. He said he first wanted Congress to pass his signature non-citizen voting law.
“Today’s Housing News Conference and Signing is hereby canceled until we pass the much-needed SAVE AMERICA ACT, which I consider a national emergency,” Trump wrote on Truth Social on Wednesday, much to the surprise of many lawmakers who had been waiting for his signature.
“Release this bill”
Van Hollen on Thursday also called on U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., to send the measure directly to the White House, where Trump can decide to either veto it, sign or not sign the bill and allow Congress to “go home.”
If the president does not sign or veto a bill within 10 days of Congress sending it to his desk, it automatically becomes law. But Johnson, who was responsible for sending the registered housing bill to Trump because it came from the House of Representatives, had not sent it to the White House before a meeting there on Thursday.
“The Speaker of the House of Representatives must release this bill that has passed his panel and the United States Senate, and we must do it now,” Van Hollen said during the press conference.
“People are suffering from the lack of affordable housing,” he added. “This won’t solve the whole problem, but it’s an important step in the right direction.”
Shortly after Van Hollen’s comment, the media came forward reported that Johnson returned from his meeting at the White House and said he would send the housing bill to Trump.
Apartments in Maryland
Maryland is opposite a severe housing crisis as residents grapple with a shortage of nearly 100,000 housing units, rising costs and issues of unequal access.
Moore and his government have responded suggest to allocate millions for several housing-focused initiatives as part of its proposed 2027 budget.
Elfreth said Thursday that lawmakers should work to expand housing supply to make it easier for younger generations to buy their first homes.
She said the bipartisan housing bill could facilitate solve that problem, which she called a symptom of “the biggest issue facing Americans today, which is affordability.”
But instead of signing the bill, she said, “The president is currently holding him hostage.”
