House expected to pass affordable housing bill, send it to Trump's desk
The U.S. House on Tuesday voted 358-32 in favor of an affordable housing bill aimed at lowering costs for homebuyers and reining in institutional investors, sending the package to President Donald Trump's desk.
The legislation, dubbed the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, is a rare bipartisan measure in a deeply divided Congress. It advanced out of the Senate on Monday night by a vote of 85-5, after months of debate and different versions ping-ponging between the House and Senate. Lawmakers struck a final deal on the legislation last week.
Trump is scheduled to sign the legislation at the Capitol on Wednesday, ahead of a planned meeting with Senate Republicans, according to House Speaker Mike Johnson's office.
"With final passage of the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, Congress is paving a path back to homeownership for American families who have been locked out for far too long," Johnson said in a statement after the vote. "This transformational legislation will help address the housing affordability problem, reduce regulations so builders can build, limit institutional investing in the housing market, and bring the American Dream back into reach for millions of young and working families," Speaker Johnson said.
Democrats and Republicans alike are eager to campaign on the legislation, which would remove some red tape to enable more housing to be built and cap the number of single-family homes institutional investors can buy at 350, as affordability is top of mind for voters heading into the 2026 midterm elections. Republicans are attempting to protect narrow majorities in both the House and Senate.
But the legislation faced headwinds in the House on Tuesday as some conservative hardliners said they would oppose the housing package because it does not include a controversial election bill known as the SAVE America Act, which would require ID at the ballot box and proof of citizenship to register for elections. Trump has been urging Congress to approve the voter-ID bill, despite insufficient votes to pass it.
Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., threatened Tuesday in several posts on X to jam up the House floor if GOP leaders proceeded with a plan to fast-track the House bill using a procedure known as "suspension," which allows expedited consideration of a measure and requires two-thirds support in the chamber.
The SAVE America Act advanced out of the House in February but lacks the votes to clear the Senate.
"The House GOP is attempting to move a Senate Bill with NO VOTER ID and NO SAVE AMERICA ACT. I will have to be a NO on rules for this week (and maybe even longer) if they don't stop the games. I am not the only one. Other House Members are frustrated at the games being played. This is a problem," Luna posted.
Luna was one of just 32 Republicans who opposed the housing measure on the floor.
— CNBC's Emily Wilkins contributed to this report.
