President Trump was asked Monday about his plans for the housing affordability bill that recently passed the House and Senate with overwhelming bipartisan support. His answer gave more fodder for Democrats and created another headache for Republicans ahead of the midterm elections looming in November — elections in which the cost of living, including housing, is expected to be the main issue in voters’ minds.
“I don’t know. I think it’s so unimportant by compared to the SAVE America Act,” Trump said.
He went on to double down on that sentiment. “It’s a yawn,” Trump said. “Some people say it’s wonderful. To me, compared to the SAVE America Act, just about everything is a big yawn.”
Karoline Leavitt, the White House press secretary, had touted the housing bill as “one of the most significant pieces of housing affordability legislation in American history” and said it would increase housing supply and deliver on Trump’s promise to lower costs.
Trump last week canceled a Capitol Hill ceremony that had been arranged for him to sign the bill, insisting that his election reform bill be passed first. On Monday, Trump downplayed the importance of the housing legislation. “When I look at that bill, it’s a bill. But when I look at the SAVE America Act, it’s about saving America,” he told reporters in the Oval Office.
Trump said the bill had yet to reach his desk and that he would decide what to do with it once it arrives. The House reportedly sent the legislation to the president’s desk Monday afternoon. The legislation can also become law if Trump does not act on it for 10 days.