Kennedy’s bill would incentivize new home construction by tying federal funds to cities’ rates of home construction.
John Kennedy promises to support incentivizing new home construction by tying federal funds to cities’ rates of home construction.
Occurrences
Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) urged Congress to pass his Build Now Act, a bill that would address the soaring cost of housing, in a speech on the U.S. Senate floor.
Evidence
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Sen. John Kennedy's Build Now Act, aimed at incentivizing new home construction by tying federal funds to cities' rates of homebuilding, advanced toward Congressional passage with the introduction of a companion bill in the U.S. House of Representatives by Reps. Lisa McClain and Jim Himes. The Senate had previously passed the Build Now Act as part of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026.
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The U.S. Senate Banking Committee unanimously advanced Sen. John Kennedy's Build Now Act, which ties federal funds to cities' rates of homebuilding, as part of the ROAD to Housing Act of 2025. The package awaits approval from the full U.S. Senate and the House of Representatives.
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The Build Now Act, introduced by Sen. Kennedy, was passed by the U.S. Senate as part of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026 and is awaiting further action in the House of Representatives.
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The Build Now Act, part of the ROAD to Housing Act of 2025, was unanimously advanced by the Senate Banking Committee and is pending approval from the full Senate and the House.
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Sponsor: Sen. Kennedy, John [R-LA] (Introduced 07/24/2025)... To provide for adjustments to community development block grant allocations based on improvements in housing growth rates... Mr. Kennedy (for himself and Ms. Warren) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.
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Question: On Passage of the Bill (H.R. 6644, as amended )... Vote Result: Bill Passed... Vote Counts: YEAs 89, NAYs 10, Not Voting 1... Measure Title: A bill a bill to increase the supply of housing in America, and for other purposes.
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Latest Action: Senate - 02/11/2026 Received in the Senate... 02/09/2026 | Passed/agreed to in House... Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: 390 - 9 (Roll no. 57).
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Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.)... today introduced the Build Now Act, which would incentivize new home construction by tying federal funds to cities’ rates of homebuilding.
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The committee homepage updated June 4, 2026 lists the May 21 housing-package passage as the latest relevant housing item and notes the House passed the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act; no later housing action appears on that page.
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The House Financial Services Committee said the House passed H. Res. 1299, the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, by 396-13 and urged the Senate to pass the amended housing package; the bill was described as aimed at expanding affordable housing, strengthening pathways to homeownership, and addressing the housing crisis.
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Public Law 119-101, approved July 11, 2026, enacted H.R. 6644, the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act. Section 213 is the Build Now Act. It directs HUD to adjust Community Development Block Grant allocations based on each eligible recipient's housing growth improvement rate, award bonus amounts to qualifying higher-growth recipients, and decrease below-median recipients' otherwise allocated section 106 amount by 10 percent.
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Kennedy's Senate office said the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act included his Build Now Act. In the cited op-ed excerpt, Kennedy wrote that the idea became his Build Now Act and "just became law"; he described the mechanism as cities below the national median rate of home building losing 10% of CDBG funding, with the money redistributed to cities that outpace the median, subject to exemptions.
Assessments
The promised mechanism was enacted in Public Law 119-101, the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, approved July 11, 2026. Section 213, the Build Now Act, ties Community Development Block Grant allocations to eligible recipients' housing growth improvement rates, provides bonus amounts for higher-growth jurisdictions, and reduces below-median recipients' allocations by 10 percent. Kennedy introduced the Build Now Act and his Senate office tied the enacted provision directly to his proposal, so candidate credit is strong. Because enactment occurred while Kennedy was serving the same federal Senate term, timing is same_term.
John Kennedy materially advanced the exact policy by introducing the Build Now Act, which ties federal funds to cities' homebuilding rates, and pushing it through committee and the Senate. But the evidence does not show final enactment into law, so the promise was advanced substantially but not fully delivered.
Kennedy directly fulfilled the support-based promise by introducing the Build Now Act, which matched the promised mechanism of tying federal funds to local homebuilding rates, and by advancing it through committee and Senate passage during his current Senate term. The available evidence does not show final enactment into law, but the claim was framed as a promise to support the policy rather than to guarantee enactment, so his sponsorship and legislative advancement count as delivery in the federal senatorial context.
Senator Kennedy introduced and advanced the Build Now Act, which directly addresses the promise to support incentivizing new home construction by tying federal funds to cities' homebuilding rates. The bill passed the Senate, was included in major legislative packages, and companion legislation advanced in the House. However, the legislative effort has not yet resulted in final passage and implementation, so the promise is only partially fulfilled. Significant legislative effort is documented.