President Donald Trump dismissed a bipartisan housing bill as a "yawn" on Monday, saying his election reform law was far more important than legislation aimed at addressing the country's housing shortage.
Trump had been set to sign the housing bill last Wednesday but abruptly canceled the ceremony, using the legislation as leverage to push Congress to pass his SAVE America Act. That law would reshape federal elections ahead of the midterms, including placing new restrictions on voter registration and mail-in ballots. Democrats have rejected the SAVE America Act, arguing it would disenfranchise voters who lack access to required documents.
"I made a lot of money with housing, but when I look at that bill, it's a bill. But when I look at the SAVE America Act, it's about saving America," Trump said. "It's a yawn. Some people say it's wonderful. To me, compared to the SAVE America Act, just about everything is a big yawn."
When pressed Monday on whether he would sign the housing bill, Trump did not commit. He said the bill had not yet officially reached him, though a source familiar with the matter told ABC News that Speaker Mike Johnson formally sent the legislation to the White House earlier that day.
"It hasn't been sent to me yet. It's coming, I understand," Trump said, adding that he would make a decision once he received it.
Once the president receives the bill, he has 10 days to veto it or it becomes law automatically. There is a potential complication: if Congress adjourns before that 10-day window closes, the bill could fall to a pocket veto. The legislation passed with veto-proof majorities in both chambers, but it remains unclear what would happen if Trump sent it back to Congress.
The housing bill was designed to address the nationwide housing shortage by increasing supply and creating new paths to homeownership. Trump initially supported the bill before pausing it to use as a bargaining chip.
Trump also acknowledged Monday that his effort to attach the SAVE America Act to the housing bill was likely to fail.
"And I'd like to have the Save America Act added on. And that's probably not going to happen because we have four Republican senators, maybe five, that just won't vote for it," he said. "It's crazy."
The standoff leaves the fate of both bills uncertain heading into July.
