Reps. Cori Bush and AOC declare victory as Biden agrees to extend the eviction moratorium
President Biden is set to issue a limited extension on the federal eviction moratorium — and progressive lawmakers couldn't be more pleased.
Reps. Cori Bush (D-Mo.) and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) celebrated the news on Tuesday, applauding the Biden administration's decision to extend a moratorium that expired Saturday, renewing it in places with high transmission of COVID-19, reports The Hill. But they also applauded their own role in the update. Both lawmakers were vocal advocates for the moratorium, pushing the administration to act even though some White House officials argued they didn't have authority to do so without Congress.
Bush also thanked other lawmakers who showed up to support her as she rallied for a moratorium, like Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.). Schumer credited the progressive representatives for the victory.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Ocasio-Cortez, Bush, and Reps. Jimmy Gomez (D-Calif.) and Rep. Mondaire Jones (D-N.Y.) were part of a core group of progressives arguing the moratorium should not expire amid the pandemic. Ocasio-Cortez argued the Biden administration should push the issue all the way to the Supreme Court, saying it would be worth a legal showdown because it would buy Congress time to act. While discussing the limited extension, Biden foreshadowed exactly that kind of game plan, saying he doesn't know if a new moratorium will "pass constitutional muster," but expects it will buy more time for rent relief to get out while it's litigated, reports Marketplace.
But on Tuesday, the focus was largely on Bush, not the potentially forthcoming legal battle. Bush, for her part, says she's "grateful."
-
Metal-based compounds may be the future of antibioticsUnder the radar Robots can help develop them
-
Europe’s apples are peppered with toxic pesticidesUnder the Radar Campaign groups say existing EU regulations don’t account for risk of ‘cocktail effect’
-
Political cartoons for February 1Cartoons Sunday's political cartoons include Tom Homan's offer, the Fox News filter, and more
-
The ‘mad king’: has Trump finally lost it?Talking Point Rambling speeches, wind turbine obsession, and an ‘unhinged’ letter to Norway’s prime minister have caused concern whether the rest of his term is ‘sustainable’
-
Trump sues IRS for $10B over tax record leaksSpeed Read The president is claiming ‘reputational and financial harm’ from leaks of his tax information between 2018 and 2020
-
Trump, Senate Democrats reach DHS funding dealSpeed Read The deal will fund most of the government through September and the Department of Homeland Security for two weeks
-
Fed holds rates steady, bucking Trump pressureSpeed Read The Federal Reserve voted to keep its benchmark interest rate unchanged
-
Judge slams ICE violations amid growing backlashSpeed Read ‘ICE is not a law unto itself,’ said a federal judge after the agency violated at least 96 court orders
-
Rep. Ilhan Omar attacked with unknown liquidSpeed Read This ‘small agitator isn’t going to intimidate me from doing my work’
-
Democrats pledge Noem impeachment if not firedSpeed Read Trump is publicly defending the Homeland Security secretary
-
How realistic is the Democratic plan to retake the Senate this year?TODAY’S BIG QUESTION Schumer is growing bullish on his party’s odds in November — is it typical partisan optimism, or something more?
