Representative Maria Elvira Salazar (R-FL) celebrated the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act becoming law over the weekend.
The Context
The 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act is a bipartisan effort, originally introduced by Senators Tim Scott (R-SC) and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), to make homebuying easier and more affordable for Americans through numerous provisions that cut federal regulations, speed up environmental reviews and construction processes, and limit corporations' ability to buy single-family homes, among other measures.
The bill was overwhelmingly popular in the House, passing with 358 votes in favor and only 32 opposed in late June after passing the Senate.
President Donald Trump was expected to sign it into law two days later, but he refused to do so unless the Senate passed the SAVE America Act, which Democrats harshly criticized.
However, Trump never vetoed the ROAD to Housing Act either, which House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) said he would not, and the bill became law Saturday at midnight because the President neither signed nor vetoed the bill for ten days while Congress remained in session.
Salazar's Response
"At the heart of America's housing crisis is a simple problem: we are not building enough homes. For years, rising costs, delays, and unnecessary barriers have made it harder to build the homes our communities need, leaving families across South Florida and the nation to pay the price," said Rep. Salazar in a celebratory press release.
Rep. Salazar says the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act "takes meaningful steps to address that challenge by making it easier to build, finance, and expand housing opportunities."
"I'm especially proud to have served as the Republican co-lead of the bipartisan RESIDE Act, which was included in the final package and will help communities transform vacant and abandoned properties into housing, revitalize neighborhoods, and create new opportunities for families," the Florida congresswoman concluded.
