BIDEN 2020
Biden calls on Congress to pass emergency housing
package
Biden’s statement comes as a high proportion of rent
and mortgage payments are due Saturday, the start of a new month.
By MARIANNE
LEVINE
08/01/2020
05:00 PM EDT
Presumptive
Democratic nominee Joe Biden on Saturday urged Congress to pass an emergency
housing package after boosted federal unemployment benefits and a moratorium on
evictions both expired.
The former
vice president also slammed President Donald Trump and Senate Majority Leader
Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) for allowing the Senate to go home for the weekend without
an agreement to extend the increased federal unemployment benefits.
“Because
Donald Trump is abdicating his responsibility to lead us out of the pandemic
crisis and the economic crisis, we now face a potential housing crisis across
the country,” Biden said in a statement provided to POLITICO. “To prevent a
catastrophic rise in evictions and homelessness, President Trump must work with
Congress to act swiftly and enact a broad emergency housing support program for
renters, just as we would in the aftermath of a natural disaster.”
Biden’s
statement comes as a high proportion of rent and mortgage payments are due
Saturday, the start of a new month. Adding to the financial pressure facing
millions of Americans, a federal $600-weekly unemployment benefit from the
March CARES Act expired Friday night. The evictions moratorium ended July 24.
The former
vice president called on Congress to “provide emergency unemployment benefits,
greater access to food and nutrition programs, and full subsidies to allow
families to keep their health insurance," echoing the priorities of the
House's $3 trillion Heroes Act passed in May. He also pushed for more money for
state and local governments, another sticking point between Democrats and
Republicans.
“These
steps could put the nation in a much stronger position to handle the strain the
virus is putting on millions of Americans and our entire economy,” Biden said.
“They are among many others we must take. But we need a President to care,
lead, and act.”
The likely
Democratic nominee has widened his lead over Trump in recent polls, in part
because of the president's handling of the coronavirus pandemic.
Congress
has yet to reach a deal on the next coronavirus relief package. Earlier this
week, Trump and top White House officials suggested they would be open to a
short-term deal that would address evictions and unemployment benefits.
Democrats, however, have shot down a “piecemeal “ approach.
Speaker
Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) met
Saturday morning with White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows and Treasury
Secretary Steven Mnuchin. The meeting, the fifth this week, appeared to yield
some progress.
Democrats
want to see the $600 weekly unemployment benefit extended into next year as
part of a broader package. But Senate Republicans argue the $600 benefit
provides a disincentive to work. Senate Republicans this week released a plan
that would instead give a $200 temporary flat payment for 60 days until state
unemployment systems can provide 70 percent wage replacement.
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