Millions of Americans are struggling to afford a home, and a bill that could have helped was just blocked, prompting heavy pushback from Arizona officials.
President Donald Trump canceled the signing ceremony for the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act on Wednesday, saying he wouldn't sign it until Congress passed a separate elections bill called the SAVE America Act.
The housing legislation, described as the most comprehensive of its kind in decades, had passed both the Senate and House by wide bipartisan margins just days earlier.
The bill itself was packed with provisions to make housing more affordable and accessible. Among other things, it would have limited large institutional investors from buying up single-family homes, launched a program to convert empty commercial buildings into affordable housing, and unlocked more federal funding for factory-built homes.
However, when the news struck, Arizona Democrats were quick to respond.
Arizona Pushback
Governor Katie Hobbs (D-AZ) called the bill the kind of cross-party cooperation voters want to see, arguing it would take real steps to lower housing costs and expand homeownership.
"The President should sign it into law instead of letting six-year-old election conspiracy theories stand in the way of commonsense, bipartisan legislation," she wrote on X.
Senator Mark Kelly (D-AZ) was sharper in his criticism, saying President Trump "blew up a bill that would lower housing costs and make it easier for Americans to afford a home," and adding that working families, not billionaires, were the ones paying the price.
Additionally, Congresswoman Adelita Grijalva (D-AZ) pointed to the timing, noting that just hours after blocking the housing bill, Trump asked Congress for $70 billion to fund military action in Iran.
Struggling Path to Homeownership
To Grijalva’s point, the White House is now formally requesting $87.6 billion from Congress, with $67 billion going to the Department of Defense to cover munitions, operational costs, and classified programs related to the Iran conflict.
The request comes just a day after Congress passed a resolution rebuking the military action, and with a ceasefire currently in effect.
However, for many Americans watching housing costs climb and homeownership feel increasingly out of reach, the contrast is difficult to ignore.
For now, the bill hasn't been vetoed; under the Constitution, it could still become law if Trump doesn't act within a 10-day window while Congress remains in session.
CBS reported that House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) indicated Trump intends to sign it within that timeframe, though the president himself gave no firm commitment when asked directly.
