Despite Trump’s Lack of Support, Bipartisan Housing Bill Set to Become Law Tonight

PROVIDENCE, RI -- Despite the fact that President Donald Trump’s costly tariffs, irresponsible war with Iran, and misguided policies have driven up costs and made housing more expensive, President Trump is now refusing to sign the bipartisan 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act. This legislation, passed overwhelmingly in both the U.S. House of Representatives (358-32) and U.S. Senate (85-5), will help lower the cost of housing, cut needless red tape, increase the supply of housing stock nationwide, and expand opportunities for homeownership. After abruptly canceling a signing ceremony for the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act on June 24 and demanding that lawmakers instead prioritize his unworkable, unpopular, and unconstitutional voter-suppression bill, known as the so-called ‘SAVE Act,’ President Trump had been purposefully vague about his willingness to sign the housing bill. Today, President Trump announced he will not sign the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, in protest of the U.S. Senate not passing the so-called SAVE Act . But today marks the end of a 10-day window, and the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act will still become law tonight at midnight without President Trump’s signature. The so-called SAVE Act is a voter suppression tool that would lead to mass disenfranchisement . It also places impossible burdens on the states and saddles taxpayers with unfunded Federal mandates. The measure has repeatedly run into stiff bipartisan resistance from state election administrators and in Congress, where it has already been defeated in a failed vote. But Trump refuses to face these facts and continues to push the SAVE Act at the expense of bipartisan solutions to the affordability crisis affecting a vast majority of Americans. U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI), a supporter of the housing affordability bill who co-authored several bipartisan provisions, says the fact that President Trump has dragged his feet and stalled the process at a time when Trump's own policies are accelerating costs and making it harder for people to afford everyday necessities and pay rent is an insult to the American people. “This is a comprehensive housing affordability bill that takes a multi-faceted approach toward increasing the supply of housing, lowering costs, and expanding opportunity. It will benefit millions of Americans in all fifty states who are facing financial hardships due to President Trump's misguided policies. But instead of signing it, President Trump threw a tantrum. He has obstructed and delayed it because he wants to pass a voter suppression bill that would grant him unprecedented power to rig elections. It’s beyond irresponsible and Americans won’t stand for it. Elections should be secure and fair and focus on the issues, ideas, and character of the candidates. Americans support people who demonstrate the ability to govern and improve people’s lives -- not make them harder. President Trump’s indifference to people’s financial struggles and his refusal to lift a finger to help make housing more affordable tells people all they need to know about him. His policies are unpopular so he is trying an unprecedented power grab and directly interfere in upcoming elections,” said Senator Reed. According to the National Association of Realtors’ (NAR) latest monthly report on home sales, due in large part to a dearth of housing supply, the median sales price of existing homes in the U.S. grew to $440,600, a record high. In Rhode Island, the median sale price is $500,000. The 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act would: Provide technical assistance and competitive grants to help communities streamline zoning and permitting and build more housing; Prevent Wall Street investors from buying up single-family homes that could go to families instead; Create an innovation fund for communities increasing housing supply; Help families living in federally-assisted housing build more savings and achieve greater economic independence; Support housing opportunities for veterans, among other things; Update HUD’s HOME Investment Partnership Program, which hasn’t been reauthorized since 1992. Trump’s reckless, unauthorized war with Iran has also driven up domestic prices, including housing and construction costs, as it has contributed to an inflation spike that will likely lead to elevated interest rates. Reed says that Democrats support secure elections, limited federal power, and competent, transparent election administration by states and have voted repeatedly to provide states with the resources to ensure fair, accurate, secure elections, but President Trump has taken away and blocked that funding. “It couldn’t be any clearer: Democrats support housing affordability and President Trump only cares about himself. The American people deserve homes they can afford and strong election laws that make it simple for eligible voters to cast their ballot and have it accurately counted, that’s what we have today and it’s the system that every elected Republican won under. Meanwhile, President Trump would rather disenfranchise millions – mostly women and people of color – and become the first president in U.S. history who gets to be the final arbiter of state-run elections than lower housing costs,” said Reed.