Biden Asks Congress To Extend CDC Eviction Moratorium In 11th Hour Pivot - Forbes

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Topline

President Biden is calling on Congress to pass an emergency extension of the federal ban on evictions in a last-minute pivot just days before the current order is set to expire, according to a Thursday White House statement.

Key Facts

Press Secretary Jen Psaki told news outlets that Biden wants the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) moratorium extended due to the spread of the delta variant, which is threatening Americans “both most likely to face evictions and lacking vaccination.”

Psaki said Biden is asking Congress to extend the moratorium because he doesn’t have the power to do it himself as a result of last month’s Supreme Court ruling.

While ultimately allowing the ban to stay in place through the end of July, Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh argued the CDC had exceeded its authority and another extension would have to be through an act of Congress.

Biden’s last-minute appeal gives Congress just three days to move before the current ban expires.

Crucial Quote

“President Biden would have strongly supported a decision by the CDC to further extend this eviction moratorium to protect renters at this moment of heightened vulnerability,” Psaki said.

Surprising Fact

The Biden administration had previously characterized its last extension of the eviction ban—through July 31—as the final one, but was coming under increased pressure from Democrats in Congress amid a slow rollout of federal renters aid. The latest data released by the Treasury Department reveals state and local officials have only handed out $3 billion of the over $46 billion in rental aid allocated by Congress for the coronavirus pandemic, despite millions of Americans still being behind on rent.

Big Number

7.4 million. That’s how many tenant households reported being behind on rent in June, according to survey data from the Census Bureau. Some 3.6 million said they were “somewhat likely” or “very likely” to face eviction in the next two months.

Key Background

The CDC enacted the order last year to prevent mass evictions for individuals earning $99,000 or less per year or couples filing jointly that earned $198,000 or less per year. Renters were also protected by a patchwork of local and state protections, many of which have since expired. Even with the national ban, some landlords were still moving forward with evictions, spurring warnings from the Biden administration. The ban has faced multiple legal challenges and was even temporarily overturned by a D.C. District Court judge before a panel of judges in Washington sided with the Biden administration’s appeal for it to be reenacted. It was then taken to the Supreme Court where it was allowed to remain in place.