Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Blames House Democrats For Allowing Eviction Moratorium To Expire

The eviction moratorium put in place to protect tenants from losing their homes expired Saturday. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., believes Democrats only have themselves to blame.

On Sunday, Ocasio-Cortez appeared on CNN's “State of the Union," where she voiced her frustration after Democrats allowed time on the moratorium to run out and failed to extend it.

“The House and House leadership had the opportunity to vote to extend the moratorium, and there was frankly a handful of conservative Democrats in the House who threatened to get on planes rather than hold this vote,” she said.

“We have to really just call a spade a spade. We cannot, in good faith, blame the Republican Party when House Democrats have the majority.”

In the coming weeks, around 11 million Americans will be at risk of losing their homes following the expiration. Ocasio-Cortez also called out the Biden administration for waiting until the last minute to ask Congress to extend the eviction moratorium.

“This Court order came down on the White House a month ago, and the White House waited until the day before the House adjourned to release a statement asking Congress to extend the moratorium,” she said.

“The House was put into a needlessly difficult situation. And it’s not just me saying that. Financial services chairwoman Maxine Waters has made that very clear as well.”

On Saturday, Ocasio-Cortez organized a sit-in at the Capitol in protest of the expiration. “We’re out here to extend the moratorium, so where’s Congress? It’s time we come back and #ExtendTheMoratorium,” she tweeted at the time.

The Biden administration has since called on state officials to allocate funds to help those in need, but Ocasio-Cortez doesn’t think it will be enough.

“Those state governments need to get it together, but we cannot kick people out of their homes when our end of the bargain has not been fulfilled. Out of the $46 billion that has been allocated, only $3 billion has gone out to help renters and small mom and pop landlords,” Ocasio-Cortez said.

Ocasio-Cortez would like Congress to reconvene and vote to extend the moratorium.