Housing Bill Nears Enactment
Bipartisan Housing Bill Heads to Trump, Set to Become Law Without His Signature
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Speaker Mike Johnson formally sent the bipartisan 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act to the White House on Monday, starting a 10-day constitutional countdown for President Donald Trump to act kentucky.com. If Trump neither signs nor vetoes the bill by July 10, it becomes law automatically — without his signature.
The move comes after Trump abruptly canceled a signing ceremony on June 24 and refused to act on the bill, calling it a "yawn" compared to his push for federal voter ID laws dailygazette.com. Both chambers passed the bill with veto-proof margins — 85-5 in the Senate and 358-32 in the House.
Trump Holds Housing Bill Hostage Over Voter ID Demand
Trump announced on Truth Social that he would not sign the housing bill until Congress passed the SAVE America Act — a bill requiring documentary proof of citizenship to register to vote tri-cityherald.com. That bill passed the House in February 2026 but lacks the 60 votes needed to clear the Senate filibuster.
Political analysts say Trump is using the popular housing bill as leverage to force Senate Democrats to the table on election laws. The delay "dismayed congressional Republicans" who wanted to campaign on a major win for housing affordability ahead of the midterms bradenton.com.
A Pocket Veto Looms If Congress Goes on Recess
Congress is scheduled to begin its July 4th recess on July 3 — one day before the 10-day clock runs out. Legal experts warn this creates a "pocket veto" risk dailygazette.com. If Congress adjourns before July 10, Trump can simply do nothing and the bill dies, because there is no session for Congress to receive a veto message.
Johnson said after a June 25 White House meeting that he and Trump are "on exactly the same page" on the legislative path forward kentucky.com. Still, the formal transmission on June 29 forced the clock to start ticking, leaving Trump little room to delay further without a clear outcome.
What the Housing Bill Actually Does for Americans
The 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act merges two earlier bills and includes over 50 provisions tri-cityherald.com. It restricts large corporate investors from buying single-family homes to rent out. It also raises the cap on bank investments in affordable housing projects from 15% to 20%.
The bill rewards local governments that cut red-tape zoning rules with federal grants. It also bans the Federal Reserve from creating a digital dollar until 2030. Senators Tim Scott (R-S.C.) and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) co-authored the Senate version — an unusual bipartisan pairing bradenton.com.
Senior Scam Bill Also Caught in the Legislative Jam
The stalemate is holding up another bill too. The Financial Exploitation Prevention Act, which passed the House 414-2 on June 25, would let banks temporarily freeze accounts when elder fraud is suspected kentucky.com. Elder fraud costs Americans an estimated $2.5 billion per year — a figure that has risen 400% since 2020.
That bill is now stalled in the Senate because of the broader standoff. Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) publicly urged Trump to "sign the damn bill," warning of deep harm to communities of color bradenton.com. If Trump formally vetoes the housing bill, both chambers have the numbers to override him — but that process would burn days of floor time during a recess window.
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