President Trump has claimed he is undecided over whether he will sign the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, dismissing it as a “big yawn” within the wider spectrum of political considerations.
According to combined media reports, Trump told reporters on Monday that he had yet to receive the bill from House Speaker Mike Johnson, even though the Louisiana Republican said he was transmitting the bill to the White House on Monday. Trump, who was initially supportive of the legislation, abruptly cancelled a Capitol Hill signing ceremony last Wednesday and stated he would not sign the bill until the Senate passed the SAVE America Act, which focuses on photo identifications and proof of citizenship for voting.
“It hasn’t been sent to me yet,” Trump said. “It’s coming, I understand, and then I’ll make a de… Here’s what I would like to say,” Trump said. “It’s a yawn. Some people say it’s wonderful. To me, compared to the SAVE America Act, just about everything is a big yawn.”
The bill passed both chambers of Congress with strong bipartisan support – a 358-32 vote in the House and an 85-5 vote in the Senate – but the president was unimpressed by the rare display of political unity.
“It’s very bipartisan — that means the Democrats like it,” he said. “They’re getting things that I wouldn’t necessarily agree to.”
CNN reported that an unnamed “source familiar with the matter” said Trump was unlikely to sign the bill, although “he could always have a change of heart.” The source added Trump will not veto the bill. The Constitution enables a bill to become law after 10 days if a president does not sign it and the Congress is still in session.
Also on Monday, Johnson said House Republicans will try to link the SAVE America Act to the National Defense Authorization Act, the annual defense policy package that traditionally passes without incident. However, there is no guarantee the Senate Democrats that opposed the bill as a standalone measure will accept it as part of the defense policy offering.
Photo courtesy of the White House
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