Trump declares ‘national emergency,’ demands housing overhaul bill be scrapped in SAVE Act push
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President Donald Trump announced Wednesday that the signing of the 21st Century Housing Act was canceled at the last minute and issued an ultimatum to pass the SAVINGS Act.
“Today’s Housing News Conference and Signings are canceled until we pass the desperately needed SAVE AMERICA ACT, which I consider a National Emergency. Thank you for your interest in this matter,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
House lawmakers passed the Housing Act on Tuesday by a vote of 358 to 32; This reflects widespread agreement on the need to help Americans face housing affordability challenges. The bill aims to increase the supply of homes and reduce costs; It will also provide support to individual buyers by banning large institutional investors from purchasing detached houses.
Early Wednesday morning, Trump called the legislation “a housing bill centered on Elizabeth ‘Pocahontas’ Warren” and wrote that it was “inconsequential compared to low interest rates and even FISA pales in comparison to the passage of the SAVE AMERICA ACT.”
The Saving American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act includes Trump’s long-sought voter identification and citizenship verification during the upcoming midterms.
Trump and administration officials have sounded the alarm about the importance of passing the RELIEVE America Act, which has faced obstacles and pushback.
Trump added on Truth Social: “This is what Americans care about, both Democrats, Republicans, and everyone else. Make the bad Republicans approve it, or better yet, end the Filibuster and ratify AND approve EVERYTHING REPUBLICANS DREAM.” “The Democrats will do it in the first hour, 100% of the time. The Republicans will feel so stupid if they don’t do it first. I’ll be watching with tears in my eyes!!!”
The housing package follows months of House-Senate negotiations over restrictions on private equity investors and a temporary ban on central bank digital currencies (CBDCs), an unrelated proposal backed by GOP privacy advocates.
The bill would loosen regulations on factory-built homes and streamline federal environmental reviews of housing.
The measure encourages local governments to update their zoning policies to support more home construction and address the housing shortage.
Many Americans have struggled to purchase a home, where the average price tag nationwide exceeds $400,000. realtor.com.
House Speaker Mike Johnson said Tuesday that the new law would bring back the “American Dream” and thanked both Republicans and Democratic members after the bill was passed.
“We are grateful to Chairman Hill, Ranking Member Waters, and our Senate counterparts for rolling up their sleeves to negotiate and introduce a bipartisan, bicameral bill that will now head to President Trump’s desk to be signed into law,” he wrote to X.
Fox News Digital’s Adam Pack contributed to this report.
