Speaker Mike JohnsonPledges to Forward Housing Bill to President Trump

Speaker Mike Johnson announced on Thursday that he will forward a bipartisan housing bill approved by Congress to President Trump, even though the president previously canceled a scheduled signing ceremony.

President Trump has not yet committed to signing the legislation, which he described as of minor importance, while members of his own party view it as a crucial step that could lower housing costs.

Johnson’s announcement followed a lengthy meeting with Trump at the White House.

Transmitting a bill that has cleared both chambers of Congress is typically a routine procedural step. However, it has gained heightened significance due to President Trump’s reluctance to enact the housing measure, a priority for his party as it seeks to safeguard its congressional majority ahead of the upcoming midterm elections.

Johnson did not say whether Trump had promised to sign the bill or if the two had even discussed it. He told Capitol reporters that he spent “a few hours” in the Oval Office and that he and the president are “on exactly the same page.”

Nevertheless, Republican leaders thought they were aligned with Trump earlier this week, until he abruptly canceled the signing ceremony just hours before it was set to occur.

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

By formally delivering the bill, Johnson will trigger the constitutionally required 10‑day period in which President Trump must decide whether to veto or sign the legislation.

According to the Constitution, the president has 10 days, excluding Sundays, to sign or veto a bill; if he takes no action by the end of that period, the bill becomes law automatically.

If Congress is in recess for 10 days starting July 3, some legal scholars question whether a pocket veto can be effected during that recess or only when Congress is formally adjourned at the end of a session, which will not occur until year‑end.

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