The moratorium, which runs until October 3, issued by the Center for Epidemiology and Disease Prevention (CDC), targets areas of the country where the spread of the Covid-19 epidemic has accelerated significantly in recent weeks, affecting 80 percent of US counties and 90% of the population. .
The emergence of the delta variant has accelerated community spread, putting more and more Americans at increased risk, especially those who have not been vaccinated.
CDC Digital Director Rochelle Walensky said Tuesday. “This moratorium is the right step to keep them at home, away from gathering places where Covid-19 is spreading.” The new regulation is limited and targeted, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said, and is separate from the agency’s previous moratorium on evictions, which expired on July 31. However, the move can be legally challenged, as the Supreme Court ruled in June that the CDC had exceeded its jurisdiction when it issued such directives, and any further extension would require congressional authority.
The White House even said Monday that the CDC “cannot find an appropriate legal basis” for a new suspension, thus urging Congress to act “immediately.” However, House Democratic leaders saw it clear that the Senate, divided along partisan lines, would not extend the moratorium on evictions, and the White House was asked to take unilateral action. Some Democratic lawmakers gave impetus to their demand at a demonstration in front of the Capitol on Tuesday.
Biden told reporters Tuesday afternoon he was not sure the new regulation would pass constitutional review, but a potential lawsuit would “likely give him some extra time” to disburse the money to support the rent. The federal Congress last year voted on a nearly $47 billion budget to make up for unpaid rent, but it’s disbursing it to landlords too slowly. “We have the money,” Biden emphasized Tuesday, and the White House again urged member and local governments to speed up payments.
According to official figures, at the end of March, about 6.4 million American families were behind on rent. On July 1, about 3.6 million people believed they could be evacuated in the next two months.
Cover Photo: Getty Images
