WASHINGTON (OSV News) — President Donald Trump on June 24 canceled his plans to sign bipartisan legislation aimed at addressing the rising cost of housing, demanding that Congress pass a voter ID bill that lacks a clear path to passage in the Senate.
Several Catholic groups, including the U.S. bishops, supported the housing legislation.
The housing bill, the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, was approved by the Senate June 22 in a 85-5 vote. Several senators missed the vote as severe thunderstorms in the Washington area led to a ground stop at the nearby Ronald Reagan National Airport.
Laura Peralta-Schulte, senior director of public policy and government relations for the Catholic social justice lobby Network, which supported the bill, said in written comments to OSV News, “We are hopeful this is a temporary setback.”
“This needed housing solution should not be held up to pass the SAVE America Act that will make it harder for Americans to vote,” she said. “The ROAD to Housing Act passed both chambers with overwhelming bipartisan support because it begins to address one of the most serious challenges facing our country — the lack of affordable housing in cities, towns, and rural communities across the U.S. We urge President Trump to sign the bill and keep his promise to drive down costs for working Americans.”
Cancellation appears to have taken lawmakers by surprise
The housing bill, sponsored by Sens. Tim Scott, R-S.C., and Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., and Reps. French Hill, R-Ark., and Maxine Waters, D-Calif., would ease some regulations on the construction of new housing and would limit corporations from buying large amounts of houses. Its supporters said it would take aim at high housing costs.
The legislation was supported by the White House. But Trump said in a June 24 post on his social media website, Truth Social, “Today’s Housing News Conference and Signing is hereby cancelled until such time as we pass the desperately needed SAVE AMERICA ACT, which I consider to be a National Emergency. Thank you for your attention to this matter!”
The cancellation appeared to take lawmakers, who had planned a signing ceremony in the National Statuary Hall, by surprise. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., and other House GOP leaders were touting the housing bill at a press conference shortly before the scheduled ceremony.
It was not immediately clear whether or not Trump planned to veto the bill. If he does not veto the bill within 10 days, it could become law without his signature.
What is the SAVE America Act?
The SAVE America Act that Trump is seeking would require proof of citizenship — specifically a birth certificate, a U.S. passport or related documents such as a naturalization certificate — to register to vote in federal elections, as well as the presentation of an ID to cast a ballot. A Real ID would not meet this requirement under the terms of the bill. Supporters of the bill argue it would prevent voter fraud.
However, critics of the SAVE America Act say citizenship is already a requirement to vote in federal elections, and examples of noncitizens voting are rare. They also argue it would bar eligible citizens from voting if they did not have access to their birth certificate or hold a passport. Roughly 52% of registered voters do not have an unexpired passport with their current legal name, according to the Bipartisan Policy Center.
Although the SAVE America Act was passed by the House, it lacks sufficient support in the Senate to meet the upper chamber’s 60-vote filibuster threshold.
Continued bipartisan support for housing legislation
Supporters of the housing bill across the aisle emphasized their continued support for that legislation.
“Huge bipartisan majorities in Congress passed a bill to lower housing costs,” Warren said in a post on X after Trump’s cancellation. “But at the 11th hour, Donald Trump is refusing to sign it into law. His policies have made your costs go up — and he doesn’t care.”
Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, said in a post on X, “Housing affordability is a serious challenge across Alaska, where high construction costs, limited infrastructure, and logistical hurdles make it even harder to build homes.”
“While no single bill will solve Alaska’s housing shortage, this package represents a path that will offer additional tools to support families and communities across our state. I will continue working with my colleagues to advance solutions that address the challenges facing all Alaskans,” she said.
In an October 2025 letter, Metropolitan Archbishop Borys A. Gudziak of the Ukrainian Catholic Archeparchy of Philadelphia, who was then the chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development, wrote to Scott and Warren in support of the bill.
“The Catholic Church recognizes housing as a basic human right that must be available to all families and individuals,” he wrote. “Right now, far too many of our neighbors are struggling to access this right.”
Kate Scanlon is a national reporter for OSV News covering Washington. Follow her on X @kgscanlon.
