Johnson says Congress will send housing bill to Trump, but doesn't say when
The president abruptly canceled a signing ceremony for the bipartisan bill.
Speaker Mike Johnson said Thursday that Congress will transmit the bipartisan housing bill to President Donald Trump for his signature after a more than three-hour long "very productive meeting" at the White House with the president -- but he did not say when that will happen.
The speaker's comment came a day after Trump abruptly scrapped a signing ceremony for the bill until Congress passes the SAVE America Act, his signature election and voting reform legislation.
"We're on exactly the same page," Johnson said of himself and the president. "He -- he is -- wants to ensure that we stop any blockade in the House. Congress has work to do, and that's what we're going to do, and so we'll be moving forward on all of that. We're transmitting the housing bill to the White House."
Transmitting the bill to the White House would start a 10-day clock for the president to either sign or veto the bill; otherwise it would become law. The bill passed both the Senate and House by a veto-proof majority. Johnson has said he expects the president will sign the bill.
"And you saw his Truth post," Johnson added. "If you haven't, you should, that, you know the majority party should never be voting down rules. We got to be able to move forward on legislation and continue the America First agenda, and so we're happy to do that."
The House has been unable to move forward on certain votes this week because a handful of GOP hardliners have vowed to block other legislation from moving forward until the SAVE America Act passes Congress.
Following his meeting with Johnson at the White House, Trump urged House Republicans to "unify" and resume voting amid the legislative impasse that resulted from GOP hardliners vowing to withhold votes.
"House Republicans should unify, and stop voting down "Rules" or, threatening to do so," Trump posted on his social media platform. "Giving power to the Radical Left Dumocrats in the House to control what goes up for a Vote will make our outcomes worse, not better. No more grandstanding, please!"
The president's message comes despite his own refusal to sign any legislation until the SAVE America Act is passed.
The SAVE America Act would make significant election and voting reforms, including requiring photo ID at polling places and proof of citizenship before a person could register to vote. It has been rejected by Democrats who say that it would disenfranchise voters without access to the required documents. Trump has pushed Republicans in the Senate to eliminate or modify the filibuster to get the bill through, though Majority Leader John Thune has maintained Republicans don't have the votes to do so.
"It's another day at the office," Johnson said after his meeting with Trump. "You know, this is the process in an era with small margins, but we'll get the job done. We always do."
The House is expected to be in session next week.
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