Share
Commentary

Ilhan Omar Tries To Support Her Bill To Cancel Rent and Mortgages, Tweets Article That Blasts It

Share

When a politician tweets out an article, you generally assume they read said article.

That doesn’t appear to be the case for Rep. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, who is currently sponsoring a House bill to cancel rent and mortgage payments in light of the coronavirus pandemic.

The bill, introduced back in April by Omar, has 27 cosponsors in the House — all of them Democrats.

On Wednesday, Omar tweeted out an article about her bill — but the article isn’t exactly in favor of the bill.

The article, from Market Realist, explains that the Rent and Mortgage Cancellation Act is intended to eliminate housing payments for many Americans retroactively from April 1, 2020, until the coronavirus pandemic is over. Failure to pay rent or other similar bills would not result in fines, eviction or a negatively-impacted credit score.

Unfortunately, the bill has been criticized for being confusing and vague.

One specific criticism outlined in the article is that there is no income threshold attached to the bill, so anyone can claim relief under the bill, even if the claimant isn’t actually struggling to pay his or her rent or mortgage.

Do you support canceling rent and mortgage payments for the duration of the pandemic?

Completing this poll entitles you to The Western Journal news updates free of charge via email. You may opt out at anytime. You also agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.

In other words, the bill, as currently written, is ripe for abuse.

The bill provides for reimbursements from the government to affected landlords and lenders, but doesn’t ensure that those reimbursements will be made timely.

This could result in dire economic problems for landlords, who rely on rent payments for their own income.

If landlords can’t pay their own bills and mortgages, they can’t keep their buildings, which can create further problems for their tenants.

Omar’s goal is to keep people from being evicted as a result of the coronavirus, but the Market Realist article suggests that this bill won’t solve the problem — rather, it would just kick the problem down the road and could result in thousands of evictions when the pandemic is over and the bill’s relief expires.

Related:
Rashida Tlaib Gets Warned by House Sergeant at Arms for 'Disgraceful' Display During Netanyahu Speech

In short, the article is far from supportive.

Instead, it lays out many of the key problems with the proposed Rent and Mortgage Cancellation Act.

Omar (or whoever writes tweets for her) either didn’t read the article beyond the first paragraph, or simply couldn’t find one that was more flattering.

Either way, it tells you everything you need to know about this disaster of a bill.

Truth and Accuracy

Submit a Correction →



We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism. Read our editorial standards.

Tags:
, , , , ,
Share
Erin is a freelance writer and attorney based in Colorado. She is a graduate of Truman State University and the University of Oklahoma College of Law.
Erin is a freelance writer and attorney based in Colorado. She is a graduate of Truman State University and the University of Oklahoma College of Law.




Advertise with The Western Journal and reach millions of highly engaged readers, while supporting our work. Advertise Today.

Conversation