President Donald Trump dismissed a bipartisan housing affordability bill as a “yawn” on Monday, arguing that the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act, aka SAVE, was far more important as he continued pressuring Congress to advance his voting legislation.
Trump Prioritizes Voting Bill Over Housing
“It’s so unimportant compared to the SAVE America Act,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office, according to Reuters, adding, “It’s a yawn,” he continued. “To me, compared to the SAVE America Act, just about everything is a big yawn.”
Trump also conceded the election bill is “probably not going to happen because we have four Republican senators, maybe five, that just won’t vote for it. It’s crazy.”
The comments came days after Trump canceled a signing ceremony for the bipartisan housing legislation known as the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, saying he would not sign it until Congress passed the SAVE America Act. The housing bill passed both chambers with overwhelming majorities and has drawn rare bipartisan support.
Housing Bill Targets Affordability Problems
The bill would block large investors from buying up single-family homes, create pilot programs to expand access to small-dollar mortgages of less than $100,000 and improve fairness in the appraisal industry.
Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) said he would send the measure to Trump on Monday. Trump, however, told reporters he did not know whether he would sign it. Under the Constitution, a bill can become law automatically if the president takes no action for 10 days while Congress remains in session.
The clash comes as housing and inflation remain central political issues. The Consumer Price Index, a standard inflation gauge, rose 4.2% in May, its highest level since April 2023, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Trump returned to office in January 2025.
SAVE Act Fight Faces Senate Resistance
Trump has focused on passing the SAVE America Act, which would require proof of citizenship to register for federal elections and photo identification to vote. A version passed the House but has stalled in the Senate, where Democrats have blocked it and Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) has resisted Trump’s calls to weaken or abolish the filibuster.
Trump said on Monday that a Supreme Court decision upholding a Mississippi law allowing mail-in ballots sent by Election Day to be counted made the bill more urgent.
The remarks also add to Democratic criticism that Trump is dismissing affordability concerns. Trump has repeatedly called affordability a “hoax,” said “I don’t think about Americans’ financial situation” when making decisions about the Iran war, and recently said “I love the inflation” when asked about rising consumer prices.
Photo courtesy: Shutterstock
Recent Comments