Trump calls off signing of the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act

US President Donald Trump calls off a planned signing ceremony for a bipartisan housing bill that GOP lawmakers were touting as an election-year achievement.

US President Donald Trump abruptly calls off the signing of a bipartisan housing bill. Trump says he would not sign the measure until Congress passes legislation that would require proof of citizenship for all voters.

"Not really, no, the SAVE Act should be, (passed first) there's no compromise. It's voter ID, it's proof of citizenship and it's also the mail-in ballots. We want mail- in ballots for the military if they're away, we want them for people that are ill or people that are in some form handicapped or have a hard time or people even that are on vacation. I'm open to that. But mail-in ballots, you have to vote because we have a lot of rigged elections."

The 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act is the culmination of months of negotiations by lawmakers who combined dozens of bills meant to address how housing affordability for both renters and aspiring homeowners in the US has grown increasingly out of reach for many Americans.

The bill would reduce federal regulations, streamline environmental reviews, speed up the construction process and curb the influence of corporate landlords by limiting their ability to purchase single-family homes.

The bill has drawn broad support from the real estate industry, including organisations representing homebuilders and apartment complex owners, as well as housing advocates.

Trump's refusal to sign it prompted criticism from leading Democrats.

US Senate Minority leader Chuck Schumer says: "Donald Trump had a unique rare chance to help the American people and he refused. Donald Trump whenever he has an opportunity to help the American people with costs of housing and other issues he runs away from them, he gets diverted to ridiculous issues."

Senator Elizabeth Warren says: "We should be here today to celebrate because we should have a housing bill that is now law. Instead, we are here with a call to action. And the call is, sign the bill, Mr. President. Americans want housing costs to go down."

Trump's decision to not sign the legislation into law could end up just temporarily delaying the measure from taking effect.

The House passed the bill in a 358-32 vote on Tuesday and the Senate passed it 85-5 on Monday. That level of support is what's colloquially called a veto-proof majority.

Still, if Trump were to veto the measure, the Senate and the House would have to vote again to override the veto.