In September, Joe Biden said the “pandemic is over”.
Representative Brett Guthrie (R-KY) has introduced a bill to finally end the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Pandemic Is Over Act simply states that the public health emergency declared by the secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) in 2020 in response to COVID “shall terminate on the date of enactment of this Act.”
Rep. Guthrie introduced the “Pandemic is Over Act” to the House floor in hopes of ending the health emergency that has been in effect for about three years now.
This comes after the Health and Human Services Department (HHS) announced that it would extend the emergency for another 90 days less than a week ago.
The extension of the public health emergency (PHE) gives the government leeway in how it operates federal health programs and limits the liability of medical practitioners who treat patients with COVID.
OANN reported:
Guthrie has received support for his bill, most notably from Congressmen Larry Bucshon (R-Ind.) and Greg Pence (R-Ind.).
The Republican said that ending the nationwide health emergency is long overdue. He said he hopes that his bill will force the Biden administration to bring the COVID-19 public health emergency to an end.
The emergency declaration was issued in January 2020 and has been repeatedly extended since. The Department of Health and Human Services has stated that they will notify the public 60 days in advance of the day they choose to lift the declaration.
Officials within the Biden administration are reportedly considering ending the Declaration around spring. However, no solid timeline has been given so far.
Republicans have criticized the Biden administration repeatedly for extending the COVID-19 emergency declaration, saying that there is no justification to keep it in place anymore.
The bill was presented days after Human and Health Services extended the emergency declaration yet again for another 90 days on January 11th.
