| CONGRESS: After a lot of hemming and hawing, the Biden administration on Tuesday announced a limited two-month moratorium on evictions across most of the country amid a pressure campaign by progressives (The Hill). The Hill: Biden buys time with a new eviction ban. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) rolled out the moratorium for 60 days. It applies to counties with “substantial and high levels of community transmission” of COVID-19, according to a statement by the agency (The Associated Press). Roughly 90 percent of the country is expected to be covered by the moratorium after the initial nationwide ban expired on Saturday night (The Washington Post). “It is imperative that public health authorities act quickly to mitigate such an increase of evictions, which could increase the likelihood of new spikes in SARS-CoV-2 transmission,” CDC Director Rochelle Walensky said in a statement (CNN). The new directive comes after days of back-and-forth between the administration, congressional leaders and top progressives, who traded blame for the expiration of the nationwide moratorium and openly questioned who was able to protect renters from swift evictions. On Monday, the White House said in a statement that the CDC had been “unable to find legal authority for a new, targeted eviction moratorium” after the Supreme Court ruled in late June that congressional action was needed instead. At a news conference before the official order was issued, Biden acknowledged that the CDC’s order may not hold up in court, adding that it would minimally buy time for state and local governments to distribute aid to renters and landlords. “Whether that option will pass constitutional muster with this administration, I can’t tell you. I don’t know,” Biden said. "There are a few scholars who say it will and others who say it’s not likely to. But, at a minimum, by the time it gets litigated, it will probably give some additional time while we’re getting that $45 billion out to people who are in fact behind in the rent and don’t have the money.” After Congress was unable to pass a bill at the last minute to deal with the situation, Democratic leaders called on the administration to act. After the CDC’s announcement, Pelosi labeled Tuesday a day of “extraordinary relief.” The Hill: “The Squad” celebrates Biden eviction moratorium. 
© Getty Images > Infrastructure: There is more momentum behind the $1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill, but senators are grumbling, with more than 300 amendments having been filed as part of the lengthy lead-up to a final vote on the legislation. As The Hill’s Alexander Bolton writes, not all members are going to get their proposed changes to the legislation on the Senate floor, upsetting senators as they prepare for a final series of votes this weekend, in all likelihood. The timing is contingent on whether GOP senators believe they’ve been given enough chance to make changes to the legislation. Democrats, however, complain the bill isn’t moving quickly enough. “There are people holding amendments that they really shouldn’t be,” Sen. Jon Tester (D-Mont.) said. “Vote up or down. Churn and burn, baby.” Tester expects a final vote to take place on Saturday. Meanwhile the situation surrounding the bipartisan bill coincides with an uptick in GOP criticism of the looming $3.5 trillion reconciliation proposal and the upcoming vote on the budget resolution to set the stage for the gargantuan package in the coming months. As The Hill’s Jordain Carney reports, Republicans are increasingly viewing passage of the bipartisan bill as an inevitability, leading members to refocus their attention on the budget resolution. “That’s one that members really want to dig in and fight on,” said Sen. John Thune (S.D.), the No. 2 Senate Republican. Sen. Mike Braun (R-Ind.), who has opposed the bipartisan infrastructure deal, said that the battle over the looming reconciliation package is the “main event.” “I think the real action will be on reconciliation,” Braun said, calling the looming passage of the bipartisan bill a “fait accompli.” The Hill: Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) warns Schumer cutting off debate quickly could stall infrastructure deal. The Hill: Seven-figure ad campaign urges GOP to support infrastructure bill. > Nominees: David Chipman, Biden's nominee to lead the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, faces headwinds from GOP senators who object to his support for gun control. A handful of Senate Democrats have yet to offer their support (The Hill), but Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) went to bat for Chipman on Monday (Fox News). The Hill: Senate passes bill to award congressional gold medal to Capitol Police. ***** CORONAVIRUS: News emanating from the Empire State was not limited to Albany on Tuesday, as de Blasio announced that New York City will require individuals to show proof that they have been vaccinated in order to take part in a number of activities, including dining at restaurants and going to the gym. The program will begin on Aug. 16 and require that individuals have at least one COVID-19 shot in order to dine indoors, go to the gym, or attend performances at theaters or concert halls. After a nearly month-long transition period, enforcement will begin on Sept. 13. The timeline coincides with students returning to classrooms and is part of a push to bring workers back into the office. “If you want to participate in our society fully, you’ve got to get vaccinated,” de Blasio said at a news conference. “It’s time.” “This is going to be a requirement,” de Blasio continued. “The only way to patronize these establishments is if you are vaccinated, at least one dose. The same for folks in terms of work, they will need at least one dose” (The New York Times). According to the city, roughly 66 percent of adults in Gotham are fully vaccinated, while nearly 72 percent have received one dose. The move is in lieu of a mask mandate, which de Blasio decided against reimposing after Washington, D.C., San Francisco and Los Angeles did so in recent weeks. 👉 👉 👉 The New York Times: Food and Drug Administration aims to give final approval to the Pfizer vaccine by early next month. Max Nisen, Bloomberg Opinion: New York's vaccine mandate should be the norm. The Washington Post fact checker: Mayor Muriel Bowser’s (D) poor spin about not following her own mask mandate. 
© Getty Images De Blasio’s order comes as the U.S. has seen COVID-19 case totals spike due to the delta variant, setting up the country to deal with a tough month and possibly more. As The Hill’s Justine Coleman notes, the daily average of cases has surpassed last summer’s spike and has reached its highest level since February, when the winter surge was dialing down. According to experts, daily case totals could reach 300,000 per day, but even that remains uncertain. The Hill: Florida enters crisis territory with COVID-19, setting new infection records this week. > COVID-19 closures in Arkansas: The National Archives and Records Administration on Monday temporarily closed the Clinton Presidential Library and Museum in Little Rock “due to an increase in COVID-19 cases in Pulaski County, Ark.” The state is experiencing high transmissions of the delta variant (Arkansas Times). | 
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