The Senate on Thursday passed a landmark housing bill by a massive bipartisan margin and sent it to the House, where it faces an uncertain future as lawmakers fume over being shut out of the negotiations by the upper chamber. The 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, which is aimed at bringing down housing costs, was passed 89-10 with almost all of the “no” votes coming from conservatives. Democratic Senator Brian Schatz (Hawaii) also voted no.
The legislation — which was spearheaded by Senate Banking Committee Chair Tim Scott (R-South Carolina) and Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Massachusetts), the panel’s ranking member — would approve incentives to build new homes, launch a program to allow abandoned buildings to become housing development and approve new grants to overhaul homes, among other provisions. It would also become the first major housing bill to become law in roughly three decades. However, it faces serious trouble across the Capitol complex as House GOP leaders and conservative lawmakers are railing against a bill they believe was put together without their say. The House overwhelmingly passed its own comprehensive housing package, dubbed the Housing for the 21st Century Act, in February. House members also believe they are also benefitting from President Donald Trump’s intense focus on the Iran war and the ongoing push on the right to pass the SAVE America Act, which is unlikely to make it over the finish line as not enough Senate Republicans support altering the filibuster to advance it. Without President Trump’s muscle, it is unclear whether the housing bill can get passed in the House. The White House has thrown its weight behind Scott and Warren’s package.
Before leaving for the week, Senate Democrats on Thursday defeated a motion to proceed to a House-passed bill to reopen the Department of Homeland Security and end the 27-day shutdown that has hampered the functions of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and other critical agencies. The motion failed by a vote of 51 to 46. Senator John Fetterman (D-Pennsylvania) was the only Democrat to vote with Republicans to advance the funding bill. It needed 60 votes to advance. It marked the fourth time since February 12th that Democrats have voted to block Homeland Security funding legislation.
