On the literal eve of a House vote to end the COVID emergency through legislation, the White House announced they would end the COVID-19 Emergency Declaration on May 11th. [pdf here]
The managers of Biden knew they would face a bipartisan vote to end the power of the dictatorial fiat known as the COVID emergency, so they quickly rushed to give Democrats in congress cover for voting against the legislative end.
In the end this is all a matter of pure politics and posturing for narrative control, because the Democrat controlled Senate is not going to take up the House bills.
WASHINGTON DC – […] The two bills – the Pandemic is Over Act and the Freedom for Health Care Workers Act – were planned by Republicans last week; and late Monday, the White House announced that it will terminate the national COVID emergency on May 11. The White House also announced its opposition to the two bills up for a vote today.
But Republicans pressed ahead anyway and easily passed both measures despite the GOP’s narrow majority in the House.
The Pandemic is Over Act, which would end the public health emergency, passed 220-210 in a vote that saw every Republican vote for it and every Democrat vote against it. But the Freedom for Health Care Workers Act, which would end the vaccination requirement for federal health care workers, passed 227-203 with help from seven Democrats.
Those Democrat votes came even though Democrat leaders on the House floor argued against both bills. Rep. Frank Pallone, D-N.J., said he opposes the Pandemic is Over Act because it would “abruptly and irresponsibly end the COVID-19 public health emergency virtually overnight,” and Democrats on the floor similarly argued against the bill to end the vaccine requirement. (read more)
Predictably the White House is claiming that if the COVID-19 emergency is over, then Title-42 immigration restrictions -which are based on the emergency- should end. This means even more illegal aliens crossing the U.S. southern border, an outcome the Biden team embrace.
