Congresswoman Cori Bush spent the night sleeping on the steps of the U.S. Capitol to protest the end of the COVID eviction moratorium.
We got the Rep from Missouri Saturday morning after she spent a night with several other members of Congress -- Ayanna Pressley and Ilhan Omar -- to highlight the impending struggle of millions of people who will be evicted from their homes unless Congress extends the eviction moratorium.
It’s 1 AM. Our solidarity is strong and our numbers are growing.
— Cori Bush (@CoriBush) July 31, 2021
Millions are at risk of being removed from their homes, and a Democratic-controlled government has the power to stop it.
Extend the eviction moratorium now. pic.twitter.com/Rt0LFgViAN
Bush, who was once homeless herself, is frustrated Congress has just taken a 7-week recess without voting to extend renters' protection. Democrats tried and failed Friday to extend the law, so it's a certainty that the law will expire today.
🚨BREAKING: I’m a formerly unhoused Congresswoman, and I know that people will die if we let the eviction moratorium expire.
— Congresswoman Cori Bush (@RepCori) July 30, 2021
I just sent a letter to every one of my Democratic colleagues telling them we can’t leave until we pass this extension. pic.twitter.com/xNcFeT9GxJ
Bush made a personal plea to her fellow members, saying she's been evicted 3 times in her life along with her 2 children. She says she lived in a car and tried conveying the harsh realities of living without a roof over your head.
Although Congress has recessed, there still may be some reprieve for at-risk tenants, because it often takes months for the eviction process to wind its way through the courts.