Cori Bush Demands to Know Where Fellow Dems Stand on Eviction Moratorium

Congresswoman Cori Bush on Friday demanded to know where her fellow Democratic lawmakers stand on legislative action to extend a nationwide moratorium on evictions after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down the CDC's ban, leaving millions at risk of losing their homes in the middle of a deadly pandemic.

"Just wondering--are some of the Democrats who attempted to sink the Biden agenda this week part of the same group blocking legislation to extend the eviction moratorium?" Bush (D-Mo.) asked on Twitter, referring to the small group of conservative House Democrats who threatened to tank a $3.5 trillion budget resolution.

"The people deserve to know where their representatives stand," added the Missouri Democrat.

About an hour later, Bush and dozens of other House Democrats sent a letter imploring their party's congressional leadership to "act with the highest levels of urgency to advance a permanent legislative solution in a must-pass legislative vehicle in order to extend the life-saving federal eviction moratorium for the duration of the deadly global health crisis."

"The eviction moratorium has ended," the lawmakers wrote. "If we do not act, this will undoubtedly lead to the increased spread of Covid-19, more deaths, and community-wide trauma."

Just 64 of the House's 220 Democrats signed the new letter, and it's not clear how many members of the party would oppose an eviction moratorium extension should such a proposal come up for a vote.

Late last month, before an earlier version of the CDC's eviction moratorium lapsed, the House Democratic leadership attempted to round up enough votes to pass a last-minute extension. But, as Politico reported at the time, Democrats fell "short by at least a dozen votes" as "moderates remained unconvinced."

Days later, in response to a pressure campaign led by Bush and other progressives, the CDC implemented a new, slightly narrower eviction moratorium, which the Supreme Court ended with its 6-3 ruling on Thursday.

"The Supreme Court failed to protect the 11 million households across our country from violent eviction in the middle of a deadly global pandemic," Bush said in a statement following the ruling. "Congress must act immediately to prevent mass evictions and I am exploring every possible option. I urge my colleagues to reflect on the humanity of every single one of their unhoused, or soon-to-be unhoused, neighbors, and support a legislative solution to this eviction crisis."

In their letter to congressional collegues on Friday, those pushing for legislative action said, "The impending eviction crisis is a matter of public health and safety that demands an urgent legislative solution to prevent further harm and needless loss of human life."