Joe ‘rental relief’ plea

President Biden on Friday urged states to pump out $46.5 billion in federal rental relief to prevent a wave of evictions as Democrats on Capitol Hill struggle to find enough votes to extend a national moratorium amid a resurgence of COVID-19 cases.

Biden has not attempted a legally creative new federal moratorium — as then-President Donald Trump did in August 2020 to get around congressional gridlock. The Supreme Court recently said the Trump-era CDC moratorium must expire July 31.

In an attempt at damage control, the White House has emphasized that funds are available for renters at risk of eviction.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s press office circulated Biden’s statement as she and other House Democratic leaders huddled to discuss how to extend the moratorium.