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.
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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."
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