The 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, the most significant housing legislation in more than three decades, has become law without President Donald Trump's signature, and Senator Elizabeth Warren is urging Congress to maintain that momentum to address the broader affordability crisis facing American families.
Warren, a Massachusetts Democrat, wrote in an opinion piece that Trump refused to sign the bill for over two weeks, not because he opposed its provisions, but because he showed little concern for the financial pressures on families. The president has called the affordability crisis a «hoax» and dismissed the legislation as «minor,» but Warren emphasized that overwhelming numbers of Americans recognize the severity of the housing and cost-of-living challenges.
The new law establishes federal incentives to encourage communities nationwide to build more housing, removes outdated regulations to speed up construction, and reduces costs for manufactured housing. It also prohibits private equity firms from purchasing single-family homes, a practice Warren has long criticized for driving up prices and destabilizing neighborhoods. She noted that Congress had never before held private equity accountable for such actions, making this a landmark bipartisan achievement.
Nearly 90% of voters support the law, according to Warren, who credited Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina, Representative Maxine Waters of California, and mayors across the country for their leadership. She described the legislation as proof that Congress can act even when the president is disengaged, but stressed that much more work remains.
Warren outlined a series of additional measures she believes Congress should pursue to lower costs for families. She called for capping credit card interest rates at 10%, a promise she said Trump made last January but has not fulfilled. Families have paid $368 million every day for that broken promise, she wrote, and nearly two-thirds of Americans across party lines support the cap.
Grocery costs are another top priority. Warren pointed to anticompetitive tactics by dominant food corporations, from beef to eggs, that drive up prices. She noted that Democrats and Republicans alike support cracking down on price gouging and that her Price Gouging Prevention Act, modeled on laws in dozens of states, would give antitrust regulators more tools to address unfair pricing.
Health care costs also demand action, Warren argued. She criticized Trump and Republicans for cutting health care access for millions and called for legislation to ensure Americans do not pay more than the rest of the world for prescription drugs. Her bipartisan Break Up Big Medicine Act would target consolidation in the health care system, including insurers, pharmacy benefit managers, and physician practices, which she said leads to higher prices.
Warren also advocated for lifting the Social Security payroll tax cap to ensure the wealthiest Americans contribute the same percentage of their income as average workers. She warned that without action, seniors could face benefit cuts in 2032. Majorities of Democrats, Republicans, and independents support this change, she said, and she is working on bipartisan legislation to achieve it.
Raising the minimum wage is another key issue. Warren noted that inflation under Trump is at its highest level in three years, leaving many full-time minimum wage workers in poverty. Congress has not raised the federal minimum wage in nearly 20 years, and more than 80% of voters across party lines believe it is too low.
Child care costs are also a major concern, with 82% of voters supporting federal funding to lower expenses. Warren proposed capping child care costs at 7% of income, expanding supply, and boosting wages for workers.
Other ideas she highlighted include investing in domestic drug manufacturing, preventing data centers from driving up electricity bills, and tackling corporate profiteering across the economy. Warren concluded that the housing law demonstrates Congress can act to lower costs, and now it must build on that success to make life more affordable for all Americans.
