Activists protested outside Nancy Pelosi’s San Francisco home demanding her to reconvene Congress to extend the expiring eviction moratorium.
- Protestors gathered at Nancy Pelosi’s SF property after Congress adjourned for a summer break before passing legislation to extend a nationwide ban on evictions.
- A recent study reveals that more than 15 million U.S. residents could face eviction.
- The activists wanted to send Pelosi a message to reconvene Congress to review the extension.
On Friday, the House was dismissed for summer break without passing legislation to extend a nationwide ban on evictions that was set to expire on July 31. As Fox News reports, this sparked outrage from the progressive Squad, followed by an overnight protest at the Capitol.
Dozens of enraged activists gathered at Pelosi’s SF home and taped an “eviction notice” on her door to remind her about the millions of Americans that will be facing eviction from this weekend.
In solidarity with all people behind on rent and @CoriBush, we’re out at @SpeakerPelosi ‘s mansion delivering an “eviction” notice.
Our Congresswoman needs to convene Congress to extend the eviction moratorium. pic.twitter.com/4Hrpb0OMnZ
— Jackie Fielder (@JackieFielder_) July 31, 2021
Christin Evans, one of the protestors outside the speaker’s property, commented:
“The reason that we’re at her house is that she has a beautiful mansion in Pacific Heights in San Francisco, and it shows how out of touch she is with the people that are facing a situation [of eviction].”
The activist said that the pandemic worsened the already bad housing and homeless situation in San Francisco.
Evans added:
“We wanted to essentially send her a message that we want her to reconvene Congress to take a vote [to extend] the eviction moratorium.”
Rep. Cory Bush, who led the overnight Capitol protest, tweeted on Saturday:
“The eviction moratorium expires tonight at midnight. We could have extended it yesterday, but some Democrats went on vacation instead.”
Good morning. The eviction moratorium expires tonight at midnight.
We could have extended it yesterday, but some Democrats went on vacation instead.
We slept at the Capitol last night to ask them to come back and do their jobs.
Today’s their last chance. We’re still here. pic.twitter.com/vnwIrAokll
— Cori Bush (@CoriBush) July 31, 2021
It remains unclear whether Pelosi was at home during the protest outside her SF property, as she did not come out to face the activists at the time.
According to the Biden administration, a recent Supreme Court decision implied that the CDC couldn’t prolong the moratorium past July 31 on their own. Therefore, the White House ordered Congress to take immediate action.
However, Pelosi claimed she thought the CDC could pass the extension unilaterally. The speaker promised:
“We’re not going away from this issue, whether it’s now or shortly thereafter.”
The CDC has the power to extend the eviction moratorium. As they double down on masks, why wouldn't they extend the moratorium in light of delta variant?
— Nancy Pelosi (@SpeakerPelosi) August 1, 2021
On Friday, the House tried to pass legislation protecting renters from evictions by unanimous consent.
However, Rep. Patrick McHenry, R-N.C., objected to the preposition and the attempt was unsuccessful. In case the House wants to pass the extension, they would need a roll call vote.
In a statement, a Pelosi spokesperson said the effort by Republicans to block Friday’s quick passage was “an act of pure cruelty,” adding:
“Ensuring every American has a roof overhead is a fundamental value that unites the Democratic Party and that personally drives the Speaker. Speaker Pelosi led a relentless campaign to extend the CDC eviction moratorium. In an act of pure cruelty, Republicans blocked this measure — callously leaving children and families out on the streets.”
According to a recent study by the Aspen Institute and COVID-19 Eviction Defense Project, more than 15 million Americans could face eviction. Their collective debt in rent is estimated at over $20 billion.
Meanwhile, landlords continue paying taxes and other expenses, even though many are no longer collecting rent. Although Congress approved to give $46 billion in federal aid to renters and landlords between December and March, over the first half of 2021, officials administered only $3 billion.
On Saturday, a Pelosi spokesperson said that she and the U.S. president are “urging state and local governments to immediately disburse the $46.5 billion in emergency rental assistance approved by the Democratic Congress, so that many families can avoid eviction.”