The housing bill that cleared Congress is "a win for Republicans," Rep. Addison McDowell, R-N.C., told Newsmax on Friday.
Appearing on Newsmax's "Wake Up America," McDowell defended the bipartisan housing measure while insisting Congress must also approve the SAVE America Act, saying Republicans can tackle affordability and election integrity at the same time.
"I think that this bill is a win because it gets rid of regulation. It gets rid of red tape and allows housing prices to go down," McDowell said. "I think that's a win for Republicans."
The freshman lawmaker said President Donald Trump is right to press Congress to pass the SAVE America Act, which would require proof of U.S. citizenship to register to vote in federal elections.
Trump has said he wants the Senate to approve the election bill before he signs the housing legislation.
"The American people have made it very clear that the most important thing that we have to do right now is the SAVE America Act," McDowell said. "Every election is important, but this one may be more important than any one we've ever had."
McDowell argued Republicans should avoid internal disputes that hand leverage to Democrats while continuing to push both measures through Congress.
"We have to be able to do two things at once, which is exactly what the president wants us to be able to do," he said. "Any time we cede control of the House floor to Democrats, it's not a good thing for us to do. But that doesn't excuse the fact that we have to get the SAVE America Act passed into law."
House Republicans approved the SAVE America Act earlier this year, but the legislation has stalled in the Senate.
Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., has indicated provisions of the bill could be included in a future reconciliation package, while Trump has continued urging Senate Republicans to act.
McDowell said he supports both the housing package and the election bill.
"I hope that he will sign it," McDowell said of the housing legislation. "But we've got to defer to him on the leadership of we have to get the SAVE America Act done. That's exactly what us in the House are trying to do. That's why I voted for it. That's why I've co-sponsored it. And I'll happily vote for it again. It's time for the Senate to do its job and get it done."
McDowell also dismissed a new poll showing former North Carolina Democrat Gov. Roy Cooper leading former Republican National Committee Chair Michael Whatley in the state's 2026 Senate race.
Republicans have historically trailed in North Carolina polling before winning statewide Senate races, McDowell said, predicting Whatley will overcome the early deficit by highlighting Cooper's record on crime and public safety.
"I think that poll is not exactly accurate," McDowell said. "Once Michael Whatley tells the story of Roy Cooper, it is going to be a completely different race."
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