White House demands for more COVID-19 funding, second gentleman Doug Emhoff’s positive diagnosis, and the spread of the BA.2 omicron variant have muddied President Joe Biden’s attempts to move past the pandemic.

Overshadowed by the Ukraine war and de-prioritized as restrictions have relaxed to reflect falling case numbers, the White House had started to pivot toward other agenda items without declaring the public health emergency over. But the setbacks have eroded the perception of progress amid calls for preparations to begin for the next outbreak.

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