The White House and Democratic leaders have been dueling — publicly and privately — over who should take responsibility for extending an eviction moratorium that could protect millions of people on the verge of homelessness.
Why it matters: It's a rare moment of dysfunction between the usually-in-lockstep Biden team and congressional leadership.
- The White House had said its hands were tied last month by the Supreme Court and that Congress must pass a bill to extend the ban on evictions.
- Democratic leaders contend that the Biden administration can and must extend the federal moratorium in place since last September to prevent landlords from evicting tenants regardless of whether they're able to make rent.
- The moratorium has now expired, paving the way for landlords to evict renters again.
The latest: Tellingly, the White House shifted its rhetoric Monday afternoon, with Press Secretary Jen Psaki saying the president has asked his government to explore all options for extending the eviction ban through executive action even though his lawyers have found no authority so far.
Between the lines: House Democrats argue the Biden Centers for Disease Control and Prevention should just go ahead and extend the eviction ban even if they know it's likely the courts will overrule them....
- Their argument: The facts on the ground have changed since the Supreme Court ruling with the Delta variant's rapid spread, and litigation could buy time for the states to disperse more money to renters and landlords or for Congress to cobble together a solution.
- But in her statement Psaki made clear that the head of the CDC