Politics

The Speaker Called Trump’s Bluff and Sent the Housing Bill to His Desk

By Mike Harper · June 29, 2026

The bill that bans Wall Street from buying single-family homes arrives on the president’s desk today. What happens next is entirely up to Trump — and the Constitution.

House Speaker Mike Johnson announced Sunday on Fox News that he would send the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act to the White House on Monday morning, starting a 10-day constitutional clock. If Trump signs it, it becomes law immediately. If he vetoes it, Congress can override with the veto-proof majorities that already passed it — 85-5 in the Senate. If he does nothing, the bill becomes law without his signature on or around July 10.

“It’s passed by both chambers. I’m sending it to him on Monday, and it will become law.”

Last Wednesday, Trump abruptly canceled the signing ceremony and said he wouldn’t sign any legislation until Congress passed the SAVE America Act — his signature voter ID and election reform bill. Congress has not passed the SAVE Act. Johnson is sending the housing bill anyway. The demand was not met. The bill is moving forward regardless.

The move is extraordinary. A Speaker of the president’s own party is effectively calling the president’s bluff — sending legislation to the White House knowing the president has publicly refused to sign it, and relying on the Constitution’s 10-day provision to ensure it becomes law even if Trump never picks up the pen.

Senator Elizabeth Warren, one of the bill’s co-sponsors, was less diplomatic about the standoff.

“Sign the damn bill. Families have been waiting years for Congress to stand up to Wall Street landlords. The president is throwing a tantrum.”

The bill prohibits any investor owning 350 or more homes from purchasing additional single-family properties, expands FHA mortgage limits, and funds the conversion of vacant commercial buildings into affordable housing. It passed the Senate 85-5 and the House by a similarly lopsided margin. Both margins are well above the two-thirds threshold needed to override a veto.

Trump’s options are limited. A veto would be overridden, handing him a public defeat. Signing it would mean backing down from his SAVE Act demand. Letting it become law without his signature allows him to avoid both outcomes — the bill passes and he never has to be seen endorsing it.

Johnson was asked Sunday whether Trump would sign. He said he expects the president will act “within the 10-day window.” He did not say Trump would sign. He said Trump would act. The distinction may be the whole story.

The clock starts today. July 10 is the deadline. For the suburban homeowners who have spent a decade competing against Blackstone for houses in their own neighborhoods — the answer is coming.