US President Donald Trump has announced that he cancelled the signing of a bill aimed at bringing down housing costs at the Capitol until an election bill, known as the SAVE America Act, is passed.
"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 wrote on his Truth Social platform on Wednesday.
It came after the House of Representatives passed a bipartisan housing package on Tuesday, sending it to Trump's desk for his signature.
The lower chamber passed the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act by a vote of 358-32.
The bill seeks to reduce housing costs by linking federal grants to new construction, creating incentives for local governments to expand housing supply and speeding up environmental review processes, among other measures.
The SAVE America Act refers to legislation focused on voter identification and proof-of-citizenship requirements.
Trump jolted Republicans during a fiery appearance at the US Capitol and challenged senators who had voted the previous day to rebuke him over the Iran war, according to US media reports.
Senator Bill Cassidy of Louisiana later told reporters that Trump asked why any Republican would support the measure.
"I stood and said, 'You have not told the American people what's going on. It 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 said, according to The Hill and CNN.
'Minor importance'
As he walked into the lunch with Senate Majority Leader John Thune, Trump ignored questions about whether he would sign the housing bill and instead volunteered that the Middle East "war is going very well" and that "Iran is making very big concessions."
Trump had previously backed the package, which offered him a chance to highlight efforts to lower living costs against a backdrop of persistent inflation, driven in part by the war in Iran.
But on Wednesday, he dismissed it as being of "minor importance" and said it "pales in comparison" to passing the SAVE America Act.
Trump's refusal to sign may prove largely symbolic. Under the US Constitution, a bill becomes law after 10 days if the president neither signs nor vetoes it while Congress is in session.
Last week, Trump also cancelled the Senate confirmation hearing for his nominee for director of national intelligence, saying the election bill should take priority.
Supporters say the SAVE America Act would strengthen election security.
But voter fraud is exceedingly rare, and opponents warn that it would mostly burden minority voters, married women and others less likely to have easy access to the required documents.
