Trump Now to Receive Housing Bill, SAVE America Still Mired in Senate

Things are getting complicated. On Sunday, the Republican Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mike Johnson (LA-04), indicated that the housing bill President Trump refused to sign last week will be placed on the president's desk on Monday.

House Speaker Mike Johnson said on Sunday he would send a bipartisan housing affordability bill to President Donald Trump on Monday, days after the Republican president refused to sign the bill until a divisive voting rights measure was passed.
"It's passed by both chambers. I'm sending it to him on Monday, and it will become law," Johnson, a Republican from Louisiana, said in a televised interview.

President Trump canceled a signing ceremony for this bill on Wednesday. As of this writing, it's not clear that he has agreed to sign (or veto) the bill on Monday.

Trump on Wednesday abruptly canceled a signing ceremony for the housing legislation in an effort to pressure Republicans into passing a controversial voter ID bill, ⁠known as the "SAVE America Act."
The voting act would require a photo ID to vote in federal elections and proof of U.S. citizenship to register, while compelling states to turn ⁠over their voter registration rolls to the federal government.

This is, according to all the recent polling, an overwhelmingly popular notion among the American public. That hasn't stopped Congressional Democrats from maintaining a knee-jerk opposition to the SAVE America Act, but then, they are and have been suffering from Stage IV Trump Derangement Syndrome.

Trump supporters want to include the SAVE America Act in a special budget reconciliation bill that can pass the Senate with 51 Republican votes and overrule the parliamentarian — the official charged with upholding chamber rules — if the voter ID measure is ruled ineligible, as it was earlier this year.
Democrats say ⁠the voter ID law is designed to make it more difficult to ⁠vote for thousands of Americans, particularly those in heavily Democrat districts.

Democrats are wrong, of course. It's impossible to live as a functional adult in our modern society without some form of ID, normally a driver's license or that state-issued non-driving equivalent. You have to have a valid ID to buy a bottle of booze or to open a bank account, but for some reason, Democrats think a large proportion of their base voters are somehow incapable of obtaining one of these apparently magical cards.

Luna Locks the House: No Votes Until Senate Takes Action on SAVE Act

Here's the thing: The housing bill will become law with or without the president's signature, unless he vetoes it, which doesn't seem likely. The Constitution, in Article I, Section 7, Clause 2, makes it plain that even if the president declines to sign, it will still become law:

If any Bill shall not be returned by the President within ten Days (Sundays excepted) after it shall have been presented to him, the Same shall be a Law, in like Manner as if he had signed it, unless the Congress by their Adjournment prevent its Return, in which Case it shall not be a Law.

Speaker Johnson, however, did also express some optimism on the possible passage of the SAVE America Act.

Johnson said he had met with Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., and implored him to pass the voter ID measure.
"He's got a big challenge on his hands, of course, and I've encouraged him to do everything possible within his power to move it. I believe he will," Johnson said. "We'll send them over a provision that fits."

Many Americans, on this topic, have gone from the Speaker's recently-expressed "I believe he will" to "I will believe it when I see it." The SAVE America Act is the single most important piece of legislation Congress has taken on this term; whatever's in second place isn't even close. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) still has arrows in his quiver. The House of Representatives has done its part. Now the Senate needs to act on this bill if is to become law in time to apply in this year's midterm elections - or ever.

Editor’s Note: Republicans are fighting for election integrity by requiring proper identification to vote.

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