U.S. Housing Supply Expansion Act Becomes Law Automatically After Trump Withholds Signature

A large-scale bill to promote housing supply, which passed both the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives with bipartisan support, automatically became law on July 11 (local time) without the signature of President Donald Trump.

According to reports from The New York Times (NYT) and CNN, President Trump had delayed signing the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, which passed Congress on June 24, by linking it to voting-related legislation. However, as ten days passed since the bill was sent to the President, it automatically took effect in accordance with constitutional provisions.

The U.S. Constitution stipulates that if a bill passed by Congress is not signed by the President, it automatically becomes law after ten days (excluding Sundays) while Congress is in session, even without the President's signature.

If a president exercises a veto and returns a bill to Congress, it must be re-passed by a two-thirds majority in both the Senate and the House to become law.

In the case of the housing supply expansion act, President Trump merely withheld his signature rather than exercising his veto power, allowing the bill to become law as time elapsed.

The housing supply expansion act focuses on easing various regulations to make home construction easier and more affordable.

It is a bill that both the Democratic and Republican parties reached a rare bipartisan agreement on to address the issue of soaring housing costs.

However, ahead of the bill signing ceremony scheduled for June 24, President Trump abruptly withheld his signature, insisting that the SAVE Act (Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act) must be processed first.

The SAVE Act includes provisions that mandate proof of citizenship for voter registration and significantly restrict mail-in voting.

President Trump maintains that the passage of this bill is necessary to prevent election fraud and to secure victory in the midterm elections.

The NYT pointed out that while the housing bill became law without the President's signature, President Trump's decision to withhold it demonstrates deepening friction between him and Republican senators.

(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.