President Donald Trump announced on Friday that he will not sign the landmark bipartisan housing bill recently passed by Congress. He posted on Truth Social that his refusal is a protest against the United States Senate's inability to pass the Save America Act, a strict voting bill favored by 97% of the Republican Party and also popular among some Democrats.

Despite Trump's refusal to sign, a U.S. official told CBS News that he is not expected to veto the housing bill. According to congressional procedure, if the president does not sign a bill within 10 days and Congress remains in session, the bill automatically becomes law. This means the housing bill will become law at midnight without Trump's signature.

Trump has expressed frustration over the Senate's failure to pass his preferred voting legislation and had previously canceled his announced signing of the housing bill on June 24. On Friday, he also criticized both Democrats and Republicans, calling them "DUMB," even as Republicans seek to claim a legislative victory on housing affordability ahead of the November elections.

The housing bill addresses concerns amid rising home prices, with the National Association of Realtors reporting the median price of existing homes in June at $440,660, an increase of 1.8% from the previous year, making homeownership unaffordable for many Americans.

The White House had initially scheduled the president's signing of the housing bill but later canceled the event. Trump has not publicly stated whether he would issue a veto, but the official CBS News source indicates a veto is unlikely.

Sources