There’s no doubt President Donald Trump has a lot on his plate now. But housing is reportedly not a priority.
“Nobody gives a f*ck about housing” were the words Trump said to Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) when discussing a Senate bill addressing the very issue.
Punchbowl News cited four people familiar with the situation in its report.
Johnson told Republican leaders in his private conversation with Trump, the president dismissed the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act. The act is due to be voted on in the Senate Wednesday.
Sens. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) drafted the legislation, which aims to reduce restrictions around home buying.
The bill is meant to “make it easier to build and afford housing, including modernizing outdated government programs, lowering costs by removing unnecessary federal requirements, and increasing local flexibility over housing decisions.”
Trump appears to be more focused on Operation Epic Fury and his push for Congress to pass the SAVE Act — legislation that would require voter ID to vote.
Trump recently called the SAVE Act the “most popular bill” he’s ever seen before Congress.
House Republicans are threatening to force a formal negotiation on housing, which could essentially unravel a bill with bipartisan support.
“I think we’ll just stay the course, get the housing bill completed and, hopefully, this will still be one of those things that [Trump] can look at and say, this can be a victory for us,” Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) said.
Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) added if the legislation doesn’t pass now, he doesn’t believe it will ever will.
“I will tell you, if we don’t pass it this time, it’s going to be very difficult,” he said.
