WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) issued the following statement after the Biden White House announced it would end both the COVID-19 national emergency and public health emergency on May 11, following the Leader’s announcement last week that House Republicans will begin voting tomorrow on ending the emergencies:

“I am glad to see the White House is following the lead of House Republicans and announcing they plan to finally end the Public Health Emergency and the COVID Emergency Declaration, on the heels of our announcement last week that we will vote this week to immediately end this outdated declaration. Rather than waiting until May 11, the Biden Administration should join us now in immediately ending this declaration. The vast majority of Americans have returned to work and resumed their lives months ago, yet the Biden Administration has lagged behind, attempting to keep things shut down under the guise of COVID. With our votes starting tomorrow, House Republicans are making it clear that the days of the Biden Administration being able to hide behind COVID to waste billions of taxpayer dollars on their unrelated, radical agenda are over.”

Background:

On Friday, January 27, Majority Leader Steve Scalise announced that House Republicans would bring up legislation for a vote to immediately repeal the Public Health Emergency for COVID-19 and the national emergency declared over COVID-19. 

• Congressman Brett Guthrie’s legislation, H.R. 382, the Pandemic is Over Act, will officially end the COVID-19 public health emergency and President Biden’s abuse of certain emergency powers.
• H.J. Res. 7, introduced by Congressman Paul Gosar, would also end the COVID-19 national emergency declared on March 13, 2020.

On Monday, January 30, President Biden informed Congress that he would end the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency and COVID-19 National Emergency on May 11, 2023.