Pelosi calls for Biden to extend the eviction moratorium. The White House says it can't
By: Joey Garrison (MSN)
What doesn't she understand about they can't?
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
WASHINGTON - Two days after a federal moratorium on evictions expired, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi urged the White House to extend it, even as the Biden administration has insisted that only Congress has the power to keep it in place.
The Democratic-controlled House adjourned for recess last week without taking action on a bill that would have renewed it.
The White House says only Congress can extend the evictions freeze after the Supreme Court ruled in June that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention overstepped its authority when it created the policy.
The back and forth comes as the inaction has created a backlash among progressive Democrats who have blamed their party's leadership in Congress and President Joe Biden for letting the moratorium expire.
Rep. Cori Bush, D-Miss., and several other progressive lawmakers have camped outside on the U.S. Capitol steps since Friday to call for the House to reconvene to take action.
Pelosi and other House Democratic leaders said in a joint statement Sunday night that action is needed and "it must come from the administration."
"That is why House leadership is calling on the administration to immediately extend the moratorium," the Democratic leaders said.
More: AOC blames Democrats for letting eviction moratorium expire, says Biden wasn't 'forthright'
Video: Nancy Pelosi's moral Imperative to extend eviction bill (Daily Mail)
The moratorium, put in place during the pandemic, was credited with keeping more than 2 million renters in their homes. Two days before it ended - and just one day before the House adjourned - the White House made its first public appeal for Congress to take action to extend the policy.
© Jose Luis Magana, AP House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., speaks to reporters during a news conference at the Capitol in Washington, D.C., on July 22, 2021. Pelosi discussed her reasons for rejecting two Republicans chosen by House GOP leader Kevin McCarthy to be on the committee investigating the Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection.
Pelosi and the House Democratic leaders said the virus remains a threat, calling it a "moral imperative" to keep people from losing their homes. But they said "it is clear" the evenly divided Senate won't extend the eviction moratorium, making any effort from the House insufficient, and putting the onus on the Biden administration.
"As we urge the White House to act, please note that Congress will work to address any vulnerability to the CDC identified by the courts," Pelosi wrote in a letter to House Democrats on Monday.
More: Congress fails to extend eviction moratorium, despite last-minute effort
More: Biden asks Congress to extend eviction moratorium 'without delay' as expiration looms
In a June 29 ruling, a 5-4 majority of the Supreme Court allowed the federal eviction moratorium to remain in place through the end of July. But Associate Justice Brett Kavanaugh said he provided the fifth vote only because the freeze was about to expire on its own and said any further extension would require congressional authorization.
White House press secretary Jen Psaki last Thursday said that given the spread of the COVID delta variant the president "would have strongly supported a decision by the CDC" to further extend the eviction moratorium.
"Unfortunately, the Supreme Court has made clear that this option is no longer available," Psaki said, before calling on Congress to extend the eviction moratorium "without delay."
Biden and Democrats have called attention to $46.5 billion approved by Congress this year for emergency rental assistance that state and local governments have been slow to spend. Biden urged states and cities Friday still sitting on the aid to "take all possible steps to immediately disburse these funds."
More: 'A lot of people will be displaced': Tenants prepare for end of federal eviction moratorium
Staff writer John Fritze contributed to this report. Reach Joey Garrison on Twitter @joeygarrison.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Pelosi calls for Biden to extend the eviction moratorium. The White House says it can't
And they would be correct. Do try to keep up Nan mmmmmK?
Or just keep fiddle fucking around with your little committee since that is so MUCH damned more important over and MUCH above the American citizen. You know, your pet project at this point.
I'd imagine Biden was very happy the Supreme Court ruled against his admin on this. Even he knows how insane it is to allow freeloaders occupy someone's property indefinitely without paying for it. The no eviction policy has damaged enough property owners and inflated rental costs for everyone else. The Supreme Court gave him an excuse to stop the insanity.
I agree about the policy ending, but "freeloaders" is a little harsh.
Maybe in a very few rare cases.
With everybody else, there are tens or hundreds of thousands of businesses in the country that are looking for workers and complaining that no one is applying for the jobs.
I don't know about you, but if I was out of a job for an extended period of time, I would get what I can find, simply to either pay my bills or take care of my family the best I could. I'm pretty sure you, a conservative, would do the same.
Problem is, there are too many out there that were relying on the government to continue to moratorium, almost indefinitely and they did nothing to find work because they figured they would not have to. After all, they had the squad on their team, so they had nothing to worry about s/.
Unfortunately for them, the shit has hit the fan.
If I were a landlord, I would have filed eviction notices they day after the moratorium expired.
I think it's more nuanced for more people than that.
Possibly. But were I a single mother with kids to take care of and a great degree of uncertainty about whether or not they'll be on Zoom School again in the fall, I'm not sure what I'd do.
No question, there are certainly some people in this camp. I'm just not sure it's as many as lots of people suspect.
I agree with everything you stated.
We both agree that there are some out there that having been gaming the system way too long, and now it is back to bite them in the ass.
The first moratorium on evictions was included in the CARES Act in March, 2020. But the CARES Act moratorium only ran until the end of July, 2020. The CDC issued a moratorium under Section 361 of the Public Health Service Act in September, 2020.
Democrats are bickering with each other about actions taken during the Trump administration. Trump got it done. Why can't Democrats?
Rhetorical?
LOL
How's that 'not Trump' thingy workin' for ya'? Guess that's rhetorical, too.
Well here's some help..........................
I know here in my county, they've got a lot of the money left but it seems one must apply for the assistance. People aren't. They've "helped" 11,000 approximately but it is estimated that 19,000 need help. Are we running into the "too hard to apply" crowd? Perhaps if we had "absentee apply by mail" it would get out where it belongs...........liike voting. Right Cliff....../S
I've got a feeling that a lot of the reason may be the sheer number of illegals we have around here and they may be afraid of applying ...............who knows?
I really like that picture and caption
I lost rental income due to COVID. Tenants got quarantined twice, then the man hurt his back. They did not have the money for all the rent, But I got some and when they moved the house was in good shape and I did not have to clean it and they found me a new renter. I told them times were hard and I would not throw them out. They were nice young couple starting out and some money was better than house being empty and getting nothing.
The government seems to forget that Landlords need the rent money for their income and to keep the property maintained and PAY THE TAXES which come due no matter if the rent comes in or not.
Pelosi is not calling for property taxes to be suspended for housing where the tenants are not paying rent, why?
Property taxes are state / local taxes, not national.
Congress has no jurisdiction in state or local taxes.
She wants to let them stay rent free then she can come up with the money to cover the local taxes
Take it up with your Representatives because spending bill require a vote of Congress...