TRUMP REFUSES TO SIGN BIPARTISAN HOUSING BILL, BUT IT MAY BECOME LAW ANYWAY

President Donald Trump said he will not sign a bipartisan housing-affordability bill, but the measure is still expected to become law without his signature unless he vetoes it, according to Reuters and the Associated Press. The bill, known as the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, passed Congress with broad support from both parties and is aimed at increasing housing supply, reducing building delays and limiting large investor ownership of single-family homes.

AP reported that the bill passed the Senate 85-5 and the House 358-32, making it one of the rare major pieces of bipartisan legislation to clear Congress during a politically divided year. Under the U.S. Constitution, a bill can become law without the president's signature if Congress remains in session and the president does not veto it within the required period.

Trump called the housing bill "a big yawn" and said he would allow it to become law without signing it as a protest over the Senate's failure to pass the SAVE America Act, according to Reuters and AP. The SAVE America Act would require proof of citizenship to register to vote and establish a national voter database, according to Reuters and AP.

Reuters reported that Trump has prioritized the voting measure, which is rooted in his repeated claims about election fraud. Reuters described those claims as unproven. Democrats and voting-rights groups have criticized similar proof-of-citizenship proposals, saying they could make voter registration more difficult for eligible voters.

The housing bill includes permitting changes intended to speed up home construction and provisions limiting how many single-family homes large Wall Street investors can own, according to Reuters and AP. AP reported that supporters say the measure is designed to address a national shortage of about 10 million homes by reducing regulatory friction and increasing supply.

MarketWatch reported that the housing package comes as the median U.S. home price reached a record $440,600 in June and elevated mortgage rates continue to strain buyers. MarketWatch reported that some median-income families are spending as much as 43% of their earnings on housing, while housing advocates and economists cautioned that the bill is unlikely to deliver immediate relief on prices or mortgage rates.

The bill has drawn support from parts of the real-estate and homebuilding sectors, according to AP and MarketWatch. MarketWatch reported that homebuilder stocks rose as investors assessed the bill's likely passage, while some advocates argued that broader public-housing investment and tenant protections would still be needed to address affordability for lower-income households.

Trump's refusal to sign the bill creates a political split between the housing legislation's bipartisan support and his public demand for action on voting rules. AP reported that Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer accused Trump of prioritizing political power over affordability, while Republicans who supported the housing bill must now explain the measure without a presidential endorsement.

The immediate question is whether Trump allows the bill to become law without taking further action or issues a veto before the deadline. If he does not veto it, the measure is expected to become law automatically, giving Congress a major housing-policy win while leaving the president publicly distanced from the legislation.

Fact-check date: 10 July 2026
Article type: News
Sources: Reuters, Associated Press, MarketWatch, Axios