At the direction of President Joe Biden and in defiance of a recent Supreme Court ruling, the Centers for Disease Control issued an illegal 60-day eviction moratorium Tuesday evening.
"The U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) is issuing a new order temporarily halting evictions in counties with heightened levels of community transmission in order to respond to recent, unexpected developments in the trajectory of the COVID-19 pandemic, including the rise of the Delta variant. It is intended to target specific areas of the country where cases are rapidly increasing, which likely would be exacerbated by mass evictions," the CDC released in a statement. "Accordingly, subject to the limitations under 'Applicability,' a landlord, owner of a residential property, or other person with a legal right to pursue eviction or possessory action, shall not evict any covered person from any residential property in any county or U.S. territory while the county or territory is experiencing substantial or high levels of community transmission of SARS-CoV-2."
The penalties are stiff, although it is unclear where the CDC got the authority to enforce a "law" Congress did not pass.
The new 60-day CDC eviction moratorium carries steep criminal penalties for individual landlords who break the law:
— Joseph Zeballos-Roig (@josephzeballos) August 3, 2021
- Potential $100k fine and 1 year in jail if eviction doesn't result in death
- Up to $250k fine and 1 year in jail if evicted person dieshttps://t.co/d0KRACRFUy pic.twitter.com/MVnUQDJQGD
Congress, which is controlled by Democrats, had two months to come up with a solution after the Supreme Court determined the moratorium – issued through the executive branch – is unconstitutional.
To be clear, Democrats absolutely did NOT work tirelessly on this.
— Matt Whitlock (@mattdizwhitlock) August 3, 2021
They FORGOT about the deadline (or put it off until the last day of session on purpose), failed to take action, and Biden waved a wand to extend it (until it's stopped again). https://t.co/G62CGlbeN6
During a press briefing at the White House Monday, Biden administration officials said they had "kicked all of the tires" for a solution and that they were not legally allowed to extend the moratorium. President Biden moved forward anyway.
Pres. Biden says he's not sure if the upcoming eviction moratorium decision from the CDC will hold constitutionally, but that he hopes it will "give some additional time" to give out rental assistance funds. pic.twitter.com/V78AOusRe5
— CBS News (@CBSNews) August 3, 2021
Trump CDC takes over private property via eviction moratorium.
— Thomas Massie (@RepThomasMassie) August 4, 2021
Insane.
SCOTUS says it’s unconstitutional but OK to leave in place since it ends soon.
Insane.
Biden says it probably is unconstitutional but directs CDC to extend it again.
Insane.https://t.co/kas6auTpMV
Our tax dollars at work: PBS's Yamiche Alcindor lobbies White House American Rescue Plan coordinator Gene Sperling to have President Biden unilaterally extend the eviction moratorium and worry about the Supreme Court striking it down later.
— Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) August 2, 2021
Cause who needs laws, amirite?! pic.twitter.com/oBWCK03MAY
Socialists and communist Democrats are celebrating while private property owners are on the hook.
On Friday night, I came to the Capitol with my chair. I refused to accept that Congress could leave for vacation while 11 million people faced eviction.
— Cori Bush (@CoriBush) August 3, 2021
For 5 days, we’ve been out here, demanding that our government acts to save lives.
Today, our movement moved mountains.
Notice how Dems were careful to omit mortgage payments and property taxes from their not-a-law moratorium. That’s how you know this is pretend-to-care theater. It’s a Marxist grab for private property rights, period. https://t.co/1jGYuji946
— Dana Loesch (@DLoesch) August 4, 2021