President Trump on Monday dismissed a widely supported bipartisan housing bill as a mere “yawn,” doubling down on his push for the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE America) Act, while acknowledging the latter is unlikely to become law because of Republican resistance in the Senate.
Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, Trump contrasted the two pieces of legislation sharply. “It’s so unimportant compared to the SAVE America Act,” he said of the housing bill. “When I look at the bill, it’s a bill. When I look at the SAVE America Act, it’s about saving America.” He added, “It’s a yawn. To me, compared to the SAVE America Act, just about everything is a big yawn.”
The housing measure, formally known as the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, passed both chambers with overwhelming bipartisan support. It targets large investors buying up single-family homes, creates pilot programs for small-dollar mortgages under $100,000, and aims to improve fairness in the appraisal industry. Trump stunned Washington last week by canceling the signing ceremony, vowing not to sign it until the SAVE Act clears Congress.
Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) said he would send the bill to the White House on Monday, but Trump indicated he remains undecided on signing it. Under the Constitution, the bill can become law without his signature if he takes no action for 10 days, leaving the president in a passive but potentially deliberate position.
Trump’s focus remains on the SAVE America Act, which would require proof of citizenship to register for federal elections and a photo ID to vote. A House version passed, but Senate Democrats have blocked it. Trump has repeatedly urged Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) to abolish or reform the filibuster to advance the bill, but Thune has stated there are not enough Republican votes to do so.
On Monday, Trump cited a recent Supreme Court decision that upheld a Mississippi law allowing mail-in ballots postmarked by Election Day to be counted, arguing it makes the SAVE Act more urgent. Yet he conceded the legislation is “probably not going to happen because we have four Republican senators, maybe five, that just won’t vote for it. It’s crazy.”
The president’s admission underscores a deepening rift within his own party on election integrity measures. Some Republicans have voiced concerns about federal overreach and the practical impact on voter access. The dispute over the SAVE Act has also led to internal finger-pointing, with one GOP senator accusing Trump’s staff of misrepresenting his voting record on the measure.
Meanwhile, the housing bill’s fate remains uncertain as Trump weighs whether to actively veto it or allow it to become law without his endorsement. The standoff highlights a broader pattern of the president prioritizing culture-war battles over bipartisan policy achievements, even as the housing crisis continues to squeeze American families.
