Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (FL) speaks on Day 3 of the Republican National Convention (RNC), at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S., July 17, 2024.
Mike Segar | Reuters
The U.S. House on Tuesday is expected to send to President Donald Trump’s desk an affordable housing bill aimed at lowering costs for homebuyers and reining in institutional investors.
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.
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 there being insufficient votes to support it in Congress.
Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., threatened Tueday in several posts to 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 does not have the votes required 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.
But without broader support from within the Republican conference, Luna’s opposition is unlikely to derail the housing bill.
