Trump dismisses bipartisan housing bill as he pushes voting measure first

President Donald Trump brushed aside the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act in Oval Office remarks on Monday, calling the bipartisan measure “a big yawn” and saying the housing bill mattered far less to him than the SAVE America Act, the voting bill he wants Congress to pass first.

The housing package passed the Senate 85-5 on Monday, June 23, 2026, and the House 358-32 on Tuesday, June 24, 2026. Speaker Mike Johnson said on Sunday, June 28, 2026, that he would send the bill to Trump on Monday, starting the 10-day period for presidential action. Trump had already canceled a planned signing ceremony on June 24 and said he would not sign the housing bill until Congress approved the SAVE America Act.

The bill would revise federal housing programs, expand financing for affordable housing, and provide planning and community development grants. It also includes changes to Federal Housing Administration multifamily loan limits. The bill responds to a housing shortage that has pushed costs higher for renters and would-be buyers across the country.

Estimates of that shortage vary widely. The National Association of Realtors has put the figure at 5.5 million missing homes. Brookings estimated the U.S. housing market was short 4.9 million units in 2023 relative to mid-2000s norms. In February 2026, the National Association of Home Builders said about 1.2 million additional units would be needed to restore vacancy rates to historical norms.

Trump said during the Oval Office remarks that he had made money in housing himself. The SAVE America Act would require documentary proof of U.S. citizenship to register to vote in federal elections and photo identification to vote.