Trump Halts Housing Bill Signing, Prioritizes SAVE America Act
In a surprising move on Wednesday morning, former President Donald Trump announced via Truth Social that he would not be signing the anticipated housing bill. Trump described the bill as “of minor importance” and emphasized the need to prioritize the SAVE America Act, labeling it a “National Emergency.” This proposed legislation aims to tighten voting regulations by requiring U.S. citizenship proof and photo identification for federal elections.
The SAVE America Act has sparked controversy among voting rights advocates. Critics argue that it could disenfranchise millions of voters, despite studies showing that voting by undocumented individuals in U.S. elections is extremely rare. Although the bill has passed the House, it remains pending in the Senate.
Meanwhile, Nebraska Senator Pete Ricketts played a significant role in shaping the housing bill, leading or co-sponsoring seven provisions designed to improve housing accessibility and affordability, particularly for working families, veterans, and rural communities in Nebraska. During a Wednesday press call, Ricketts expressed his disagreement with Trump’s decision and encouraged the former president to reconsider his stance.
“I would advise the president to take the win,” Ricketts urged. “This housing bill will help reduce housing costs … if I was advising the president, I’d tell him, take the win. Talk about it. It’s a good bill.”
Although Ricketts has supported the SAVE America Act and its voter ID requirements multiple times, he maintained that Trump should still proceed with the housing bill’s signing. He highlighted that Trump has ten days to act on the bill before it automatically becomes law.
“Once the House submits the bill to the president, he’ll have ten days to sign the bill. If he doesn’t sign the bill, it will become law, and we’ll see where it goes from there,” Ricketts noted.
When questioned about the possibility of a veto override should Trump reject the bill, Ricketts responded, “Let’s take that one step at a time,” while pointing out that the bill had secured substantial bipartisan support in both the House and Senate.
