July 29, 2021- 8:58 p.m.
House Democratic leadership on Thursday struggled to build support for a five-month extension of the nationwide eviction moratorium that’s set to lapse this weekend after running into opposition from more than a dozen Democratic lawmakers, according to two sources familiar with the situation.
The scramble came hours after the White House announced plans to allow the ban to expire as scheduled on Saturday because of concerns that another extension would be struck down in court, amid the threat of legal challenges by landlords who warn that it costs them billions of dollars each month.
With the ban set to expire Saturday and millions of Americans at risk of losing their homes, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) confirmed that Democrats in favor of extending the moratorium were still working to lock down backing for a possible last-minute vote Friday. The House is set to leave town at the end of this week until September.
Asked whether Democrats would consider a shorter extension of the moratorium — such as one through September — Hoyer said: “There’s going to be a lot of talk and we’ll see. We’re talking about it.”
The Biden administration cited a Supreme Court decision last month that indicated a majority of justices believed the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention exceeded its authority when it imposed the ban in September. The White House urged Congress to pass legislation to extend the moratorium.
The move forced Hill Democrats to spring into action, spurred on by housing advocates who warn that millions of renters struggling to pay bills during the pandemic now face the prospect of losing their homes. The situation has been exacerbated by state and local bottlenecks that have slowed distribution of $46.5 billion in rental assistance authorized by Congress.
