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Trump says he ‘will not sign’ bipartisan housing bill, but doesn’t threaten veto either

President Donald Trump speaks at the White House on July 06, 2026 in Washington, DC. Trump is hosting a luncheon in the Rose Garden Club. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

(WASHINGTON) — President Donald Trump said in a social media post Friday morning that he “will not sign” the bipartisan housing reform package, which he abruptly placed into limbo last month after demanding that his unrelated signature election reform law be sent to his desk alongside it.

Trump said he won’t sign the housing bill “in PROTEST” over the Senate’s inability to pass the Save America Act.

The housing bill can still become law overnight without Trump’s signature.

If a president doesn’t sign a bill or veto it, it automatically becomes law after 10 days while Congress is in session, excluding Sundays. The housing bill was presented to Trump on June 29, and the 10-day clock began on June 30. If Trump issues a veto, Congress would need to attempt to override it by a two-thirds vote in both the House and the Senate.

The 21st Century Road to Housing Act aims to address the country’s housing shortage by increasing the supply of homes and overall homeownership by loosening regulations to encourage housing construction and by limiting Wall Street investors from buying homes that could go to families instead.

New data from the National Association of Realtors shows the median home price increased 1.8% in June from a year ago, and is now $440,600 — an all-time high.

The Senate voted 85-5 on passage of the housing measure on June 22 before the House approved the bill by a vote of 358-32 on June 23. Both totals represent sufficient support to overcome a potential presidential veto with a two-thirds majority in both chambers.

Even though the stage was set for the president to sign the bill in a rare ceremony at the U.S. Capitol, the bipartisan breakthrough did not last long, as Trump quickly announced he would not sign the bill unless lawmakers approve the SAVE America Act. 

The SAVE America Act would make significant election and voting reforms, including requiring photo ID at polling places and proof of citizenship before a person could register to vote. The legislation has been flatly rejected by Democrats and would require 60 votes to prevail in the Senate.

Trump has pushed Republicans in the Senate to eliminate or modify the filibuster to get the bill through, though Majority Leader John Thune has said Republicans don’t have the votes to do so.

Trump wrote in his social media post Friday that if Democrats “do not allow a positive Vote on SAVE AMERICA, TERMINATE THE FILIBUSTER, and pass this, and every other Bill that true Republicans have ever dreamt of.”

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Ex-Chinese military men accused of espionage activities near US bases by South Korean police

Seoul (CNN) — Two former Chinese military servicemen have been arrested in South Korea in separate cases of apparent espionage, involving alleged attempts to surveil South Korean military operations and US forces stationed in the country, police said.In one case, a man is accused of intercepting flight communications near an airbase where US fighter jets are based, while in the other, information about a military drills between between US and South Korean forces was allegedly obtained.South Korea is a key ally of the US in Asia, and hosts its largest overseas military installation.Both men have been charged with aiding an enemy state. CNN has reached out to China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs for comment about both cases.Military drills informationIn 2022, a Korean-Chinese man in his 40s allegedly developed a personal relationship with a Korean woman who worked at Camp Humphreys –– located in Pyeongtaek about 40 miles south of Seoul.The base is home to US Forces Korea and other major commands, making it a key center for US military operations and readiness on the Korean Peninsula.Korean media reports say the man gave the woman money for military information about the base.The Gyeonggi Nambu police national security investigation division said the man obtained information about US-South Korea joint military exercises, including Ulchi Freedom Shield, as well as changes in command positions, police said.Ulchi Freedom Shield is an annual joint military exercise conducted by the United States and South Korea to strengthen their combined defense capabilities and readiness. Authorities have informed the US military about the case.Police said the man was a former Chinese military serviceman who had operated a military supply store near Camp Humphreys since 2021. He told police he needed the information for his military equipment business, according to investigators.The man was charged Monday with aiding an enemy state and violating the Military Base and Installations Protection Act.The woman involved had been removed from her position by the time investigations began.Separate airport communications caseThe second case involves a Chinese man in his 60s who police said also previously served in the Chinese military.He was arrested on Monday on charges of aiding an enemy state and violating the Communications Secrets Protection Act after allegedly using a software-defined radio, or SDR, to intercept communications near Gunsan Airport in North Jeolla Province, about 110 miles (180 kilometers) south of Seoul.Gunsan Airport is a joint military and civilian airport near Kunsan Air Base, which is home to the US Air Force’s 8th Fighter Wing.Police allege the man entered South Korea on a tourist visa several times from January 2024 and stayed about a week for each trip.He’s accused of checking into a hotel near the airport and using a small SDR to intercept military communications.During questioning, police said the man told investigators that “listening to military-related communications is my hobby.” Officers are analyzing the content of the intercepted communications to determine whether the information was sent to China.South Korea’s Defense Ministry and the United States Forces Korea declined to comment.The-CNN-Wire™ & © 2026 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.
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