Trump cancels housing bill signing, leaving Central Oregon with questions
WASHINGTON, D.C. (KTVZ) — President Donald Trump’s last-minute decision to cancel the planned signing of a bipartisan housing bill is putting new scrutiny on a measure that could affect families across Central Oregon, where affordability remains a top concern.
The 21st Century Road to Housing Act passed both chambers of Congress with broad support this week and included three bills sponsored by Oregon Rep. Janelle Bynum. The package was aimed at speeding home construction, reducing barriers to homeownership and improving local responses to homelessness.
In a social media post, Trump said, “Today’s Housing News Conference and Signing is hereby canceled until such time as we pass the desperately needed SAVE AMERICA ACT,” referring to a separate elections bill that would add proof of citizenship and voter ID requirements in every state.
Bynum said the housing package was the result of bipartisan work and a direct response to families struggling with the cost of living.
“The issue is that the American people have asked Congress, have asked their leadership to find solutions to make housing more affordable. And Congress delivered and in a big way, bipartisan, you know, Senate and House consistently. And the bill is over 374 pages of wins for the American people. And this is a huge loss,” Bynum said.
She said her bills addressed the pace of housing construction, homelessness solutions and the homebuying process, while also offering protections against large institutional investors that can drive up prices for single-family homes.
“We’ve identified a problem, and we’ve identified a solution on that now. And I’m here to fight for that every single day,” Bynum said.
Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson said the delay is not necessarily the end of the road.
“But we’re delaying this. As you know, he has a window of time before he has to sign a bill, and he’s going to use a little bit more of that window of time. And we’re going to go through this together,” Johnson said.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer was far more critical.
“Trump’s clown car gets more and more laughable. Ridiculous. Here’s what he just did. He canceled his bill signing on the housing bill,” Schumer said. “It’s utterly amazing. Trump is running away from one of the very few accomplishments that could actually help the American people.”
Central Oregon housing advocate David Welton, a volunteer with YIMBY, said the issue cuts across party lines.
“Whether you vote red or blue, you need a place to live,” Welton said. “There’s real bipartisan support for making it easier to build more housing of all shapes and sizes.”
The bill could still become law in about 10 days if Trump neither signs nor vetoes it while Congress remains in session.
For Central Oregon, where housing costs continue to strain buyers and renters alike, the delay adds uncertainty to a market many say is already stretched thin.
