This statement by the House leadership was the latest inflamation of tensions between congressional Democrats and Biden's administration over the fate and implementation of the eviction moratorium. It was first implemented by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in September.Progressive lawmakers including Reps. Cori Bush (D-Mo. ), Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.) Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., also wrote to Biden urging him to keep the ban and protested at the Capitol.The White House announced Thursday it would allow the ban to expire because the Supreme Court had indicated that legislation was required to extend it for a fifth consecutive time in June.Two-day scramble began in the House when Bidens called for Congress to intervene. A plan to extend the moratorium was opposed by more than 12 House Democrats. Landlords argued that it would cost them billions each month.Pelosi and her colleagues stated Sunday night that while the CDC is increasing its mask-wearing efforts and vaccination efforts, "science" and "reason demand that they also extend the moratorium due to the Delta variant."They stated that doing so is a moral imperative to prevent people being put on the streets, which contributes to the public's health emergency."Senior Democrats asked that the Treasury Department provide information on how the state and local governments can more efficiently distribute the $46.5 billion Congress authorized for rental assistance since December. Only 6.5 percent had been distributed as of June's end.Millions of tenants across the country were at risk of losing their homes due to the lapse of the moratorium. In the U.S. Census Bureau's latest survey, 7.4 million tenants indicated that they were behind in rent payments. This was taken between the last week of June & the first week July. In the latest U.S. Census Bureau survey, 3.6 million households of tenants indicated that they were very or somewhat likely to be evicted in the next two-months.
