WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal appeals court says a pause on evictions designed to curb the spread of the coronavirus can remain in place for now.

A three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia rejected a bid by Alabama and Georgia realtors to block the eviction moratorium reinstated earlier this month.

The landlords filed an emergency motion hours later with the Supreme Court, urging the justices to allow evictions to proceed.

In June, the high court voted 5-4 to allow the moratorium to continue through the end of July. But Justice Brett Kavanaugh warned the administration not to act further without explicit congressional approval.

The White House applauded the Court of Appeals decision.

"We are pleased that the circuit court joined the district court in leaving the moratorium in place that is keeping hard-pressed Americans in their homes in areas of substantial or high COVID-19 spread," said White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — WASHINGTON, D.C.- Days after facing backlash for letting the eviction moratorium expire, the Biden administration announced it will take action to prevent Americans from being forced out of their homes.

It is calling on all states and localities to extend or put in place eviction moratoriums for at the least the next two months.

The White House says states have received $46.5 billion to protect millions of Americans facing rental debt and eviction during the pandemic.

To make sure states use the money to prevent evictions, the administration is examining why state and local governments have failed to distribute rental assistance that was approved by Congress.

The Centers for Disease Control's (CDC) eviction moratorium expired at the end of July.

It expired at the end of July.

Gene Sperling, who is overseeing COVID-19 relief spending, said the president urged the CDC to look into legal avenues that would allow it to reinstate the moratorium. So far, it hasn't found any.

The Supreme Court indicated, in a ruling, that a bill would need to be passed to extend it an additional time.

The Democratic leadership in the U.S. House issued a statement that called on the Biden administration to extend the moratorium through Oct. 18.

“It is clear that the Senate is not able to [extend the ban], and any legislation in the House, therefore, will not be sufficient,” the Democratic leadership said.