US President Donald Trump on Wednesday canceled a planned signing of bipartisan legislation aimed at accelerating the construction and availability of affordable housing in an effort to pressure his fellow Republicans to pass a long-running package of ballot measures that have shown the limits of his authority.
“Today’s House News and Signing Session is canceled until we pass the much-needed SAVE AMERICA ACT, which I consider a National Emergency,” Trump said on social media, referring to the measure that failed in the Senate and which critics say is an effort to suppress voting in Democratic-leaning communities.
The Save America Act, if passed, would mean voters would need to show proof of citizenship such as a passport when registering to vote, and a photo ID to vote.
The House bill was passed by the US House of Representatives on Tuesday in a vote of 358-32, after it was passed by the Senate on Monday by a vote of 85-5.
Passage of such major legislation in a deeply divided Congress has been rare.
The move comes as the high cost of living in the United States, with the rate of inflation rising significantly during President Trump’s second term, ranks as a concern of voters in public opinion polls.
