US Democratic Congresswoman Cori Bush announced on Friday that she intends to camp in front on the Capitol building in Washington DC, in protest against the Saturday expiration of the ongoing eviction moratorium because the House has not passed an extension.
She invited fellow members of Congress to join her in her outdoor Capitol sleepover, stating that "we must reconvene to protect people from violent evictions during a deadly pandemic".
"I cannot in good conscience leave Washington tonight while a Democratic-controlled government allows millions of people to go unhoused as the Delta variant is ravaging our communities", Bush wrote in a letter to colleagues. "Millions of people are about to lose their homes, and, as Democrats, we must not give up on the chance to save their lives."
Earlier in the day, Bush urged her counterparts to extend the eviction moratorium, but the House of Representatives adjourned for its August recess without passing an extension.
A moratorium was declared by the CDC last autumn, banning the eviction of renters who failed to pay. The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities estimated that the end of the CDC order could affect over 11 million renters.
GOP members criticized Democratic counterparts for attempting to extend the moratorium at the last minute, noting that the date of its expiration has been known since February.
US President Joe Biden, who on Thursday called on Congress to extend the eviction moratorium, stated on Friday that "state and local governments can and should use both the Emergency Rental Assistance and their American Rescue Plan state and local funds to support policies with courts, community groups, and legal aid to ensure no one seeks an eviction when they have not sought out Emergency Rental Assistance funds."