Dems demand Trump ‘sign the damn bill’ as he reverses course on affordable housing legislation
TheGrio...
The 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act would help make homeownership more affordable, lower the cost of rent, and address other housing barriers,
President Donald Trump left Capitol Hill in a state of anger and confusion on Wednesday after abruptly refusing to sign a bipartisan housing bill that would help make homeownership more affordable, lower the cost of rent, and address other housing barriers, most especially for Black Americans.
“Sign the damn bill!” said U.S. Congresswoman Maxine Waters, a lead sponsor of the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, at a press conference on Capitol Hill alongside more than a dozen Congressional Democrats to condemn Trump’s sudden reversal on signing the most comprehensive housing legislation in more than 30 years.
Later that day in her congressional office, Waters told theGrio that she was “disappointed” and “angry” when she learned that Trump reversed course on signing a bill she had worked so hard to pass in Congress, alongside U.S. Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Tim Scott (R-S.C.), and others.
However, Waters explained, “I felt that this was typical of the president in the way that he has been doing business as a president.”
The ranking member and former chairwoman of the House Financial Services added, “He cannot be depended on. He changes his mind often, and he feels that he’s not responsible for his actions, that he can do whatever he wants to do.”
Earlier that day, Trump announced on Truth Social that his initially scheduled bill signing at the U.S. Capitol was “cancelled,” as he demanded that Congress pass the SAVE America Act instead. The president said the housing bill is of “minor importance” compared to the SAVE Act, which would require voters to have an ID and a matching birth certificate that proves their citizenship. Experts say it will make it harder to vote for Black people, women, and other marginalized groups, thereby significantly reducing the number of people who vote in U.S. elections.
Rather than celebrating the signing of the ROAD to Housing Act, Democrats lambasted Trump for prioritizing a controversial, partisan bill over legislation that would help millions of Americans across the country afford housing amid a rising affordability crisis.
“Housing is about a place of refuge, a place to rest, a place to plan, a space to dream,” said U.S. Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.), whose successfully passed amendments in the housing bill tackle racial bias in home appraisals, protect renters, and strengthen oversight of corporations that acquire single-family homes.
“Our students need housing, our seniors need housing, our veterans need housing, young professionals need housing, young families need housing, everyone needs housing. It determines health outcomes, [and] it determines social and economic mobility. Housing is so much more than shelter.“
U.S. Rep. Al Green (D-Texas) noted that the housing bill also includes reforms to help homeowners recover after suffering from a natural disaster.
“Unfortunately, the disaster that you are suffering currently is not a natural disaster. It’s not an act of God. It is an act of the President of the United States, and he must be brought to justice for what he is doing today,” said Green.
For months, Trump has been pressuring Republicans to pass the SAVE America Act ahead of the midterm elections as he frets that his party will lose control of Congress, which threatens his ability to carry out his agenda for the next two years. The president also infamously led a political battle in which he called on Republicans to redraw congressional maps to favor the party, at the expense of majority Black districts.
“The SAVE Act is a voter suppression bill. And it is as simple as that,” said U.S. Rep. Joyce Beatty (D-Ohio), who successfully sued the Trump administration to remove his name from the John F. Kennedy Center. “Donald Trump, you cannot put on pause our fight, because when we fight, we win. And I know a little bit about winning.”
Beatty added, “The American people are tired of political games. They want affordable homes. They want opportunities. They want progress.”
U.S. Senator Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.) called out Trump for focusing more on making tens of millions of dollars in renovations to the White House rather than ensuring that everyday Americans can afford to buy or rent a home.
“If he were as focused on the housing of ordinary Americans as he is on renovating the house he temporarily occupies, fixing that house, tearing up that house, adding a ballroom to that house while you’re trying to buy a house, while you are trying to build a future for yourself and your family,” said Warnock. “Somebody ought to tell the President of the United States that he is a temporary resident of public housing. It’s not his house. And he ought to get focused on making sure that the American people can buy a house and can afford rent.”