Pocket Veto Showdown: Trump Snubs CBDC Ban Bill, Letting It Become Law at Midnight 🏚️

The 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, which includes a prohibition on the Federal Reserve issuing a central bank digital currency through the end of 2030, is set to become law at midnight Friday without President Donald Trump's signature, after the president publicly declared he would not sign the measure in protest over the Senate's failure to advance the SAVE America Act. In a Truth Social post, Trump wrote, "I will not sign the housing bill," framing the refusal as a protest over what he described as the Senate's inability to pass the SAVE America Act, a voting-related bill he has championed that he said polls at 97% among the Republican Party.

Under Article I, Section 7 of the Constitution, a bill passed by Congress becomes law automatically after 10 days if the president does not sign it, provided Congress remains in session. That 10-day window expires at the close of Friday. A White House spokesperson, reached by Decrypt, declined to clarify whether Trump intends to issue a formal veto before the deadline, directing inquiries to the president's social media post. If a formal veto is issued, the bill would return to Congress, where lawmakers would need a two-thirds majority in both chambers to override it.

The legislation previously cleared both chambers with veto-proof margins, passing the Senate 85-5 and the House 358-32. The bill is primarily aimed at boosting U.S. housing construction by cutting regulations and limiting institutional investors' ability to purchase single-family residential housing. Lawmakers added the CBDC provision earlier this year, prohibiting the Federal Reserve from issuing a central bank digital currency through the end of 2030. The language was welcomed by crypto and privacy advocates, who have argued that a government-issued digital dollar could enable federal surveillance of Americans' financial transactions.

The Federal Reserve has continued researching the underlying technology but has repeatedly stated it would not issue a CBDC without authorization from Congress. The housing bill, despite Trump's stated refusal to sign it, remains on course to become law at midnight absent a last-minute formal veto, marking a significant legislative outcome for both housing policy and the future trajectory of any potential U.S. digital currency.