Trump, Republicans, Reportedly Clash On Housing Bill, SAVE Act Amid Lawmakers’ Defiance

President Trump is refusing to sign a bill designed to lower housing costs for Americans unless Congress passes the SAVE Act which critics say will disenfranchise millions of voters, leading to heated clashes with GOP lawmakers.

Trump had been scheduled to sign the bipartisan housing bill when he abruptly canceled the signing.

“Today’s Housing News Conference and Signing is hereby cancelled until such time as we pass the desperately needed SAVE AMERICA ACT, which I consider to be a National Emergency,” Trump stated.

Republicans have repeatedly told the president that they don’t have the votes to pass the SAVE Act, which would impose stringent ID requirements on voters. The Brennan Center for Justice, a nonpartisan law and policy organization, estimated that up to 21 million American citizens might not have the documents needed – passports, birth certificates, or a military ID – readily available.

The housing bill, which passed with strong support among Democrats and Republicans, would seek to make homes more affordable by making it easier to build and buy homes. PBS reported that the law would streamline environmental reviews, remove restrictions on building manufactured homes, improve access to small-dollar mortgages, and seek to limit investor ownership of single-family homes to no more than 350.

Trump was expected to sign the popular piece of legislation Wednesday but instead canceled the event and demanded Congress pass the SAVE Act, which faces stiff opposition.

Critics contend that the SAVE Act will disenfranchise millions of U.S. citizens, rather than secure elections.

“Roughly half of Americans don’t even have a passport. Millions lack access to a paper copy of their birth certificate. The SAVE Act would disenfranchise Americans of all ages and races, but younger voters and voters of color would suffer disproportionately,” the Brennan Center wrote. “Likewise, millions of women whose married names aren’t on their birth certificates or passports would face extra steps just to make their voices heard.”

Trump attended the Senate GOP’s weekly lunch and ended up in a heated exchange with Bill Cassidy, R-Louisiana. NBC News reported that Cassidy told reporters later that he lost his “temper” over the Iran war and the amount of information the administration was sharing.

According to NBC News, Cassidy said that he told Trump that the war “was supposed to last four weeks. It’s lasted four months. Our original objectives have not been achieved, and I want to know what’s going on.”

Cassidy lost a primary challenge earlier this year and will leave office after the November election. Trump had supported his primary opponent.