Trump blocks signing of housing bill, ties it to passage of election reform

Trump justified the linkage with the "Save America Act," which he described as a "national emergency." The bill provides, among other things, that voters in federal elections must present a photo ID and prove their citizenship at the time of registration, for example by means of a passport. Unlike in Germany, the United States has no nationwide ID requirement.

Contents of the Save America Act

In Congress, the "Save America Act" currently lacks a majority. Senate Majority Leader, Republican John Thune, had previously said on multiple occasions that the votes needed for Trump's project were lacking. The bill had already failed once in the Senate.

According to the New York Times, Trump had also met on Wednesday with rather conservative Republicans to lobby for his project. Republican Senator Tim Sheehy told Fox News of a "lively" exchange between the president and the senators. After the meeting, Trump did not go into further detail about the substance and merely hinted that he did not like a few members of his own party.

Hurdles in Congress

The housing bill had received bipartisan support in both chambers and, given the high cost of living – which polls show ranks among voters' biggest concerns – had been classified as politically urgent. In the dispute over a piece of legislation he wants, Trump is ramping up the pressure on his party colleagues on Capitol Hill.

The opposition Democrats firmly reject Trump's reform plans. Critics have labelled the "Save America Act" an attempt to suppress voting in democratically leaning communities. According to experts, the measures envisaged could make it harder for millions of people to cast their votes, because they lack ID documents and do not have easy access to documents proving US citizenship.

Criticism and possible consequences

Trump backs up his demands with the repeatedly raised accusation that his 2020 election defeat against Democrat Joe Biden was "stolen" from him. This allegation is, according to experts, unfounded; no significant scale of election fraud exists in the United States. Trump had also spent months trying to convince his party colleagues in Congress to back the bill, which contains, among other things, stricter rules for federal elections.

In addition to electoral provisions, the "Save America Act" also contains a provision intended to make it harder for transgender individuals to take part in sporting competitions. According to observers, minorities would be particularly affected by the reform.

Background: Trump's election allegations

The 2020 presidential election and Trump's campaign against his defeat had culminated to date in the storming of the US Capitol on January 6, 2021, by supporters of the right-wing populist. Trump had announced via Truth Social that Wednesday's press conference and the signing would be cancelled until a "desperately needed" electoral reform had been passed. The housing bill put forward by the House of Representatives is not related in substance to the "Save America Act."