Published May 05. 2021 8:41PM
Kyle Swenson, The Washington Post
Washington A federal judge in the District of Columbia on Wednesday ruled that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention overstepped its legal authority by issuing a nationwide eviction moratorium, a ruling that could affect millions of struggling Americans.
U.S. District Court Judge Dabney Friedrich s 20-page order says that the protection, first put in place during the coronavirus pandemic under the Trump administration and now set to run out on June 30, goes too far. It is the role of the political branches, and not the courts, to assess the merits of policy measures designed to combat the spread of disease, even during a global pandemic, the order stated. The question for the Court is a narrow one: Does the Public Health Service Act grant the CDC the legal authority to impose a nationwide eviction moratorium? It does not.
(The Center Square) â A federal judge Wednesday vacated a national moratorium on evictions imposed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, following a trend of rulings issued by other federal judges in other states.
U.S. District Court Judge Dabney Friedrich ruled in an Alabama case that the CDC exceeded its authority by issuing a moratorium on evictions, first implemented in March 2020 and recently extended through June 30. The CDC claims the moratorium has helped millions of renters who lost their jobs due to state and economic shutdowns. Those who have filed suit argue the moratorium is unconstitutional and judges across the country agree.
May 5, 2021
A federal judge in the District of Columbia on Wednesday ruled that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention overstepped its legal authority by issuing a nationwide eviction moratorium, a ruling that could affect millions of struggling Americans.
U.S. District Court Judge Dabney Friedrich’s 20-page order says that the protection, first put in place during the coronavirus pandemic under the Trump administration and now set to run out on June 30, goes too far.
“It is the role of the political branches, and not the courts, to assess the merits of policy measures designed to combat the spread of disease, even during a global pandemic,” the order stated. “The question for the Court is a narrow one: Does the Public Health Service Act grant the CDC the legal authority to impose a nationwide eviction moratorium? It does not.”
WASHINGTON, D.C. (NBC) A federal judge Wednesday struck down the national moratorium on evictions.
Washington, D.C. District Court Judge Dabney Friedrich ruled the CDC’s national eviction moratorium aimed at helping victims of the pandemic hold onto their homes exceeds the agency’s authority and should be vacated.
Judge Friedrich emphasized that while Congress had ratified earlier extensions of the moratorium order, it had not done so for the latest extension which expires on June 30th.
It’s still unclear what the immediate impact of the ruling will be.
The Department of Justice has filed an appeal on the ruling.
There is no question the moratorium is in effect in this moment, said Emily Benfer, a visiting law professor at Wake Forest University.
The CDC issued the national eviction ban in September, and it was originally slated to expire at the end of January, but President
It remains to be seen if the protection remains in effect for as long as the president intended. It will depend how the current court battle unfolds. And there s always the chance Biden extends the ban yet again.
In addition to the national ban, there are also some local eviction protections available and a large pot of money that tenants (and landlords) can apply for.