House Speaker Suggests Trump Won't Block Bipartisan Housing Relief
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Speaker Mike Johnson indicated to USA TODAY that President Donald Trump is expected to allow the bipartisan 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act to become law, either by signing it or by passively letting it through, despite his previous indifference and attempts to tie it to restrictive voting laws.
Washington — Speaker Mike Johnson revealed that President Donald Trump is unlikely to veto the bipartisan housing legislation passed by Congress, ensuring the bill will become law regardless of presidential signature. Johnson told USA TODAY after a two-hour Oval Office meeting that Trump said he would 'think about it,' with further discussions planned for later in the week.
Johnson clarified that the president has ten days, excluding Sundays, to act on the measure, which was formally sent to the White House on June 29. If Trump neither signs nor vetoes the bill within that period, it will automatically become law, a sign of the president’s reluctance to actively support policies that would help working families.
The 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act is designed to increase affordable housing, a critical need long neglected by conservative leadership. Johnson claimed the bill contains 'a lot of great policy, a lot of important things that he and I both promised to the voters,' though the administration’s track record on supporting vulnerable communities remains questionable.
Earlier, Trump dismissed the housing bill as 'a big yawn,' showing his disregard for the urgent housing crisis, and said he would not support it unless the regressive SAVE America Act—an anti-democratic voting-law proposal—passes the Senate. The SAVE America Act, which would suppress voter turnout by requiring proof of citizenship for registration and photo ID for voting, remains stalled in the Senate, despite repeated House attempts to push it through.
Johnson indicated he is working to combine the SAVE America Act with a defense policy bill to appease the president, even as some hard-right Republicans continue to oppose any compromise. These ongoing negotiations highlight the dysfunction within the GOP-controlled House, which is plagued by internal disputes and faces an upcoming recess before the midterm elections, further delaying meaningful action for the American people.