Millions of American families are at risk of being evicted from their homes for not being able to pay rent for several months due to the Corona pandemic, with the expiration of the deadline for suspending the evictions that were protecting them.
The US House of Representatives failed last Friday to reach an agreement to give additional respite to cash-strapped tenants, despite the imminent circumstances, especially with the outbreak of mutated delta, which is a cause The number of COVID-19 cases is on the rise again.
A parliamentary committee proposed extending the deadline until December 31, 2021, but this proposal did not receive sufficient support, including among Democrats, so it was then proposed to extend the grace period to 18 next October.
Unfortunately, no Republican has supported this measure...It is very disappointing that Republicans in both Houses have rejected this measure, House Democratic Speaker Nancy Pelosi said in a statement Friday evening. The elders will work with us on this matter.
A congressional source told AFP that the proposal was not unanimous among Democrats themselves.
It's a public health issue, White House spokeswoman Karen-Jean-Pierre said earlier last Friday during the daily press conference.
The members of the House of Representatives began their recess, which lasts until the end of August, to be followed by the senators a week later, dashed hope for a quick agreement.
More than 10 million people have defaulted on their rent, according to estimates by the Center for Budget and Policy Priorities, an independent research institute.
About 3.6 million tenants are considered to be at risk of eviction from their homes within two months, according to a study by the Bureau of Statistics conducted in early July on 51 million tenants.
US President Joe Biden asked Congress last Thursday to extend the suspension period, but his move has faced criticism, with many accusing him of waiting until the last minute to act.
The House Financial Services Committee's Republican Vice Chairman Patrick McHenry said three days are before the unconstitutional deadline announced by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) expires. To suspend the expulsions, and what is the solution, according to President Biden? Blame the court and call on Congress to address the matter.
He stressed that Republican members of the committee had drawn up a text allowing for an extension, but had received no response.