President Trump abruptly canceled his plans to sign a bipartisan bill aimed at improving housing affordability, one that Democrats and Republicans alike had been eager to promote on the campaign trail as evidence they were working to try to bring down costs.
Mr. Trump said in a social media post that he would not sign the bill until Congress passed a law that would impose new restrictions on voter identification and mail-in voting, known as the Save America Act. But Senator John Thune, Republican of South Dakota, has said that Republicans did not have the votes required.
Though the president said he would not sign the housing bill, it can still become law without his signature. If Congress is in session, legislation can generally become law 10 days after a bill is enrolled and presented to the president.
The president’s announcement came at the same moment that the House Republican leadership was championing the legislation during a weekly news conference.
“House Republicans are going to be the party that governs and delivers,” said Representative Tom Emmer of Minnesota, the No 3. House Republican, seemingly unaware of Mr. Trump’s social media post.
Even the White House had said it supported the bill, and shared an equally supportive statement about its components on Tuesday night.
But on Wednesday, Mr. Trump described the bill as “of minor importance compared to lower interest rates,” and called it “Warren centric,” using a racial slur to refer to Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, the top Democrat on the Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee. The measure, in fact, is bipartisan and backed by both chambers.
