House Republicans introduced a bill on Tuesday to end the COVID-19 public health emergency three years after it was first implemented nationwide.
Rep. Brett Guthrie (R-KY) proposed the measure to end the emergency declaration, setting the stage for a largely symbolic vote that is likely to get vetoed by President Joe Biden should it pass through Congress. The resolution comes just one week after the Biden administration extended the public health emergency until April.
BIDEN ADMINISTRATION EXTENDS COVID-19 PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY THROUGH APRIL
“The COVID-19 pandemic is over,” Guthrie tweeted on Tuesday. “It’s long overdue to end the COVID-19 [public health emergency] and for President Biden to relinquish his emergency powers.”
Congress has previously introduced legislation to end the COVID-19 public health emergency, with the Senate most recently voting 62-36 in November to lift the measure. Shortly after, the White House indicated Biden would veto the measure if it made it to its desk.
The emergency declaration was first issued in January 2020 and has been continually extended in 90-day increments since then. It’s not clear when the Biden administration intends to end the declaration, although the Department of Health and Human Services has pledged to notify states of its expiration at least 60 days in advance.
When the public health emergency is lifted, it will bring several policy changes to a number of areas, such as insurance markets and treatment approvals.
The emergency authorization allowed vaccines, testing, and treatments to be offered for free to the public throughout the pandemic. Additionally, the mandate declaration required states to offer continuous enrollment for Medicaid and other public health insurance programs for low-income people.
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Biden administration officials are reportedly considering ending the public health emergency as soon as this spring, although a decision has not been finalized.
Republicans have long criticized the Biden administration for extending the COVID-19 emergency, arguing that officials lack the justification to keep it in place.
