Bipartisan Housing Bill Becomes Law Without Trump's Signature
Your Daily Update for July 11, 2026. Plus: A major bipartisan bill aiming to increase housing affordability has been cleared to become law despite Trump's refusal to sign it.
Welcome to today’s daily update for Saturday, July 11, 2026. Here’s everything you need to know.
The Breakdown
One of the largest bipartisan bills of Trump’s second term is entering law – despite not being signed by the president himself.
In the American government, official laws or plans are instituted using a bill. This bill must be approved through a majority in both chambers of Congress – the House of Representatives and the Senate – before being signed by the president. The incumbent president possesses full veto power over bills presented to them by the legislature, returning the bill to Congress.
If the president chooses not to sign or veto it, the bill becomes law, given that Congress remains in session. However, if Congress adjourns – suspends operations temporarily or takes a break – the bill is “pocket vetoed,” forcing the legislature to reintroduce it as a new bill.
The bill, officially named the 21st Century Road to Housing Act, will be a massive move to increase affordability and boost growth in the housing market. By shifting regulations on housing to decrease construction costs and minimize the time it takes to gain approval, the bill will allow the number of homes being built across the nation to jump significantly.
This directly increases supply, which therefore brings down prices and satisfies demand. As the nation becomes more and more unaffordable, representatives and senators from both the Democratic and Republican parties were convinced that the bill would benefit citizens – a rare occurrence during a time where the United States has become increasingly polarized.
However, when the bill arrived at the White House, President Donald Trump refused to sign it. This started a 10-day clock that forced Congress to remain in session – a timer that expired last night at midnight, bringing the housing bill into effect.
Trump insisted that his elections bill, known as the SAVE America Act, was of much greater importance. The act requires voters to show proof of citizenship, heavily restricts mail-in ballots, and largely overturns the way ballots are currently collected, and is supported by the Republican Party but opposed by Democrats. Republican lawmakers have argued that the elections act simply lacks the support required to gain approval from Congress, but Trump has pushed forward with his current approach.
Rather than acknowledging Republicans’ win in both chambers, he dismissed the housing bill as “of minor importance” while championing the SAVE America Act. This was perceived in similar ways by the two parties, though.
The president’s heavily unpopular war in Iran and brash degradation of relations with other nations have tanked his approval ratings, which are hovering around 35%. This has also affected Republicans as a whole, who are seeing their chances of maintaining their current majority in Congress slip away – midterm elections are coming up in November, and they will decide whether Republicans retain control or not.
This housing bill was seen as an opportunity for Republicans to capitalize on a bipartisan fight against rising costs of living, which many Americans cite as their number one concern for their current situation. Trump’s blatant, uninterested response sparked frustration among these legislators while handing Democrats an opportunity to blast the president for failing to care about the American public.
The Global Snapshot
At least 10 people are dead after a plane crash on the island of Andros – the largest island in the Bahamas. According to local authorities, a small aircraft was transporting nine passengers and a pilot between two regional airports when the flight experienced “difficulties” towards the end of the journey. The pilot attempted to land the plane, but the craft crashed into several bushes and subsequently killed everyone onboard. An investigation into the incident is underway.
12 people have been killed and dozens of others are missing as raging wildfires ravage Andalusia, an autonomous community in southern Spain. Soaring temperatures and a drier-than-average year has fueled extremely high fire danger throughout this summer, particularly in southern regions where the heat is at its peak. Now, hundreds of firefighters are joining the battle against multiple fires, which are spreading quickly and filling skies with dark, black smoke.
Yesterday, China launched and retrieved a reusable rocket booster for the first time, marking a major step forward towards their goals of catching up to Elon Musk’s SpaceX. Several years ago, SpaceX completed the astonishing feat of landing a reusable rocket booster, catching the booster between two metal bars that have been coined “chopsticks.” Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin did the same in April, and China is joining the party. However, China still lacks the rocket technology to be able to carry such massive payloads, guaranteeing that SpaceX’s position at the top of aerospace remains secure – for now.
Fact of the Day (The Fact Site): In 1998, David Bowie released an internet provider called BowieNet. Subscribers were offered exclusive content and a BowieNet email for around $20 a month. However, it was shut down in 2006.
Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): Change is the essence of life; be willing to surrender what you are for what you could become. (Reinhold Niebuhr)
Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Effulgence (noun, ih-FULL-junss) - Effulgence means “radiant splendor” or “brilliance.”
In a Sentence: Guests oohed and aahed at the sudden effulgence of the pagoda, as the last of its hundreds of candles were finally lit.
Image: DVIDS / Public Domain