WASHINGTON, July 10 (Reuters) – U.S. President Donald Trump said on Friday he would not sign a bipartisan housing affordability bill that he had called “a big yawn,” but the measure can become law without his signature.
Trump said in a social media post that he was withholding his signature “in PROTEST over the fact that the United States Senate is not capable of passing THE SAVE AMERICA ACT.”
The housing bill was a rare of instance of bipartisan agreement on major legislation in the deeply divided Congress.
Among its main provisions are waiving or speeding up environmental reviews for home construction projects and placing a cap on the number of already constructed single-family homes that big Wall Street investors can own.
Trump abruptly canceled a June 24 signing ceremony for the bill to pressure Republicans into passing the SAVE America Act, which would require proof of citizenship to register to vote and create a national voter database using state records. Trump has long falsely claimed widespread fraud in U.S. elections.
Because the bill was passed by both houses of Congress, it could become law whether Trump signs it or not. After receiving the bill, Trump has 10 days to sign or veto the bill, and if he does neither, it would become law without his signature.
On June 29, Trump called the bill “a big yawn” compared to the voting legislation.
(Reporting by Bhargav Acharya and Doina Chiacu; Editing by David Ljunggren)
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