Affordable Housing Is Not A Chip To Be Played
Yesterday was supposed to be a moment many of us in the housing world have dreamed of: a federal, bipartisan housing bill earning national headlines. It did make headlines, but not for the reason we hoped.
Hours before a scheduled signing ceremony on Capitol Hill, President Trump announced that he was cancelling the bill signing for the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act and would not be signing it until Congress passes the SAVE America Act, an election law bill. Many of us were actually on the Hill yesterday, squeezing in meetings and ready to attend the historic bill signing for an incredible bipartisan win for housing. Instead, we watched the ceremony get cancelled in real time. It was clear that Congress did not expect this.
So what happens when the President refuses to sign a bill passed by Congress?
Congress can still make a bill a law. The Speaker would need to officially send the bill to the President, starting a ten-day clock. After those ten days, the bill could become law even if it still sits unsigned on the President’s desk. If the President were to actually veto the bill, Congress could then vote again to override the President’s veto.
But to be frank, it’s not housers’ jobs to tell Congress and the White House how to govern. It is, however, our job to tell our elected officials why the bipartisan housing bill they already passed with overwhelming support must become law now.
NAAHL, our members, and our partners have been pushing for this bipartisan legislation, which was an incredible feat, but the work isn’t done quite yet. After a nearly year-long journey, now is perhaps the most important time for the housing industry, advocates, state and local elected officials, practitioners, and everyone who would represent the households and communities this bill would benefit to speak up.
Speaker Johnson will be meeting with the President later today. I do believe that politicians across party lines know this bill is a top priority for voters as we head into a highly consequential midterm election, and that Speaker Johnson can get this across the finish line. But we shouldn’t take that for granted.
We urge our network to let Congress, and specifically the Speaker’s Office, know: Housing affordability and supply is not a chip to be played. The 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act must become law without further delay.
Sarah Brundage
NAAHL President & CEO