The Senate voted to pass a massive housing legislation package on Thursday, even as the White House has called for the SAVE America Act to be a top legislative priority.
Passing with rare bipartisan support, the package of housing bills aims to lower housing costs and codify multiple of President Donald Trump’s executive orders.
“This bill offers real solutions that will unlock new home construction, drive down prices, and increase the supply of affordable homes,” Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said on the Senate floor earlier this week. Thune announced on the Senate floor Thursday that there will be a vote on the SAVE America Act next week.
The package, titled the Housing for the 21st Century Act, passed Thursday afternoon by a vote of 89-10 with one Democrat and nine Republicans opposing.
The legislation would work to remove regulations that advocacy groups say in sum account for roughly 25% of building costs. The legislation would also work to streamline the building process to make home purchases more realistic and affordable.
The 10 who voted against the package included one Democrat, Sen. Brian Schatz of Hawaii, and nine Republicans: Sens. Ted Budd of North Carolina; Thom Tillis of North Carolina; Ted Cruz of Texas; Ron Johnson of Wisconsin; Mike Lee of Utah; Rand Paul of Kentucky; Rick Scott of Florida; Tommy Tuberville of Alabama; and Todd Young of Indiana.
Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., did not vote.
In an election year, both parties have prioritized affordability, especially housing affordability, in their messaging.
The Senate-passed package moves to the House and includes 18 bills already passed in the lower chamber’s original package.
Rep. Andy Harris, R-Md., told Politico this week that the chamber will address housing affordability issues, but added it is “not going to be the way the Senate is going to send it over to the House.”
The package includes legislation codifying Trump’s executive order banning large institutional investors from buying up single-family homes, as well as protecting personal privacy by blocking the development of a central bank digital currency.
Even though Trump said he would not sign anything Congress sends him until they pass the SAVE America Act, the Executive Office of the President put out a statement of policy support on March 2.
“The Administration strongly supports passage of the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act,” the letter said. “If the Senate Amendment to H.R. 6644 were presented to the President in its current form, his advisors would recommend that he sign it into law,” it concluded.
