Sen. John Kennedy (R-LA) said “you’d see a grown man cry” if President Donald Trump vetoes a bipartisan housing bill he was meant to ink on Wednesday, but abruptly canceled the landmark bill’s signing.
Lawmakers were ready for Trump to sign the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, which would ease local regulations and encourage homebuilding, but the president canceled the signing just hours before the ceremony on Wednesday and demanded passage of the SAVE America Act.
Kennedy, a close ally of Trump, said it is the president’s right to prioritize other legislation but urged Trump to avoid vetoing the housing bill, adding that such an action would be “really sad.” He nevertheless noted he’d “stand on one leg and bark like a dog” to get the SAVE America Act passed.
Trump previously said he would not sign any legislation until the passage of the SAVE America Act, which would require voter ID and proof of citizenship when registering to vote. But the bill has faced trouble in both chambers of Congress.
The president held a closed-door meeting with GOP senators to push passage of his voting bill. Kennedy attended the meeting, after which Trump said the party is “unified” but added he was not happy with every GOP lawmaker. The private meeting was meant to discuss the voter ID bill, but instead turned into Trump airing his grievances with the attending senators.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) told the Washington Examiner on Wednesday that, like Kennedy, he urged Trump not to veto the bipartisan housing bill because of how much support it received in the chamber.
Thune’s chamber has particularly struggled with the SAVE America Act, with the sweeping election bill stalling in the Senate. Trump has told Thune several times to eliminate the filibuster to pass the bill.
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) has been more optimistic that Trump will sign the housing bill and suggested Trump wants to see momentum on his voter ID bill through the special legislative process known as reconciliation, which would allow Republicans to bypass the filibuster.
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The housing bill arrived on Trump’s desk after a 358-32 vote in the House, with 32 Republicans voting against the legislation in an attempt to stage a rebellion over the SAVE America Act not being attached.
The 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act can still become law if Trump takes no action within 10 legislative days, but the president could also veto it, forcing a rare confrontation with the GOP majority. Lawmakers can override the veto with a two-thirds majority in each chamber.