Press Releases
The Republican Recap: Week of January 30, 2023
Washington,
February 2, 2023
Here’s a recap of everything Republicans achieved on the House Floor this week:
Restoring Individual Liberty ✅
Thousands of health care workers have lost their jobs as a direct result of the Biden Administration’s vaccine mandate. This has threatened the American people’s access to quality and timely care.
Congressman Jeff Duncan’s legislation, H.R. 497, the Freedom for Health Care Workers Act, ends the Biden Administration’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate on certain workers at health care facilities that participate in the Medicare and Medicaid programs.
“The bipartisan passage of my legislation, the Freedom for Health Care Workers Act, is a win for individual liberty. I thank my colleagues for following the science, given that the CDC has shown that the COVID shot does nothing to prevent transmission, and seeing this legislation through the finish line in the House of Representatives. No American should ever be forced to choose between getting the COVID shot or losing their livelihood, and this bill restores medical freedom for our health care workers who served on the front lines during the pandemic. Joe Biden’s draconian COVID authoritarianism has no place in this country, and I will continue fighting to end all of Joe Biden’s remaining COVID mandates,” said Rep. Jeff Duncan
What Members Said:
“At the end of 2021, when the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services announced a decision to mandate that health care workers receive a COVID-19 vaccine to remain employed, I opposed the decision. I believe this move by the Biden Administration be unnecessary, inappropriate, and a net harm to our health care system as a whole,” said Rep. Larry Bucshon.
 Click here or on the image above to view Rep. Bucshon’s remarks.
Rep. Eric Burlison touted his vote against the Biden Administration’s authoritarian vaccine mandate on health care workers.
 Returning to Pre-Pandemic Life ✅ After facing incredible pressure from House Republicans, President Biden informed Congress on Monday that he would end the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency on May 11, 2023. However, May is too far away. It’s time to return to normal right now. 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. “The People’s House sent President Biden a clear message: The COVID-19 pandemic is over, and it’s time to move our country beyond operating under a perpetual emergency. The Pandemic is Over Act has moved our country forward, even before the House floor vote today. President Biden the night before my bill was set to be on the House floor announced that he would finally end the COVID-19 emergency declarations. “It was still critical for the House to pass the Pandemic is Over Act today to ensure Congress has a vehicle to take its authority back and a way to hold President Biden accountable for ending the COVID-19 public health emergency. I hope this bill also results in the Biden Administration finally producing their plans to Congress that my House Republican colleagues and I have been pressing for since last February to unwind the COVID-19 public health emergency. “To be very clear, Title 42 and the COVID-19 public health emergency are separate authorities, which means my bill to end the COVID-19 public health emergency does not end Title 42. Title 42 is at President Biden’s discretion. If President Biden chooses to end Title 42 when the COVID-19 public health emergency ends without securing the border, then that would represent another failure under the Biden Administration,” said Rep. Brett Guthrie. What Members Said: “Congress has met hundreds and hundreds of times since the Executive Branch first declared the state of emergency, and the Congress has had abundant opportunity to pass federal legislation codifying or rejecting the President's recommendations. But, unfortunately, the Biden Administration has recently renewed the state of emergency for a 12th time. This is not what the Founding Fathers intended. Mr. Speaker, the Founding Fathers intended the Legislative Branch of government, the people's elected representatives, to be the ones that set laws for the United States of America,” said Rep. Jay Obernolte.
Rep. Russell Fry called out President Biden for saying that the pandemic is over but for not taking steps to return to normal.
Showing Up For the American People ✅ If the American people are expected to show up to work, federal employees should be held to the same standard. Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer’s legislation, H.R. 139, the SHOW UP Act of 2023, would end teleworking for federal employees and require them to return to the office. “This week, the People’s House sent a strong message to the Biden Administration: it’s time for the federal workforce to get back to work in-person for the American people. For years now, Americans have suffered because of the federal government’s detrimental pandemic-era telework policies. President Biden’s unnecessary expansion of telework has crippled the ability of agencies to get their jobs done and created backlogs. Seniors have experienced delays with the Social Security Administration, American taxpayers have struggled to get help from the IRS during tax filing season, and veterans have been unable to access their records to obtain care and benefits they have earned. “The SHOW UP Act ensures our government shows up for the people we are here to serve, because American workers across the country show up every day. Federal employees should follow their example. I am pleased the House has passed this bill and urge the Senate to take it up without delay,” said Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer. What Members Said: “House Republicans are going to stop the lackadaisical policies of the Biden Administration. The SHOW UP Act is a wonderful bill that I’m proud to support, and it’s going to make an end to COVID an actual reality. Federal workers should do the same thing that the private sector industry has done, which is they’ve gotten back to work for over 18 months,” said Rep. Pat Fallon.
Rep. Erin Houchin emphasized how the SHOW UP Act will force unresponsive government agencies to help struggling Americans.
Ending the COVID-19 National Emergency ✅
All across America, schools have reopened, mask mandates have been lifted, and the vast majority of workers have returned to the office.
It’s long past time to end this outdated and unnecessary COVID-19 national emergency.
H.J. Res. 7, introduced by Congressman Paul Gosar, would end the COVID-19 national emergency declared on March 13, 2020.
“Last year, Mr. Biden declared “the pandemic is over,” cases are down, and America has opened back up. This hardly sounds like a country under a national emergency, yet Mr. Biden and Nancy Pelosi repeatedly blocked debate about the merits of extending the COVID-19 national emergency declaration, as required by law, thus handicapping Congress from performing its most basic Constitutional duty: checking the powers of the executive branch. Mr. Biden even used the national emergency powers to “justify” his bogus student loan forgiveness scheme claiming the COVID-19 pandemic created a hardship that made it difficult to repay college loans. Mr. Biden’s unwillingness to let go of power is the mark of a tyrant and Nancy Pelosi’s efforts to provide cover make her complicit in this scheme. Thankfully, the new Republican majority voted to finally repeal the national emergency declared over COVID-19, requiring the Biden administration to finally put an end to this outdated order,” said Rep. Paul Gosar.
What Members Said:
“The White House has failed to roll back the emergency declaration. In fact, it wasn’t until House Republicans scheduled a vote to do just that to terminate that declaration that President Biden announced that he would actually end it on May 11th. What he really did was announce that he was giving our friends on the other side of the aisle political cover to vote no on this bill,” said Rep. Rick Crawford.
Click here or on the image above to view Rep. Crawford’s remarks. 
Denouncing the Horrors of Socialism ✅
The House of Representatives should unequivocally repudiate socialism, which is antithetical to American values and the Founding Fathers’ belief in life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
H. Con. Res. 9, introduced by Congresswoman Maria Salazar, would describe some of the horrors perpetrated by socialist regimes, denounce socialism in all its forms, and voice opposition to implementing socialist policies in the United States of America.
“The world needs to know that nothing positive has ever come, nor ever will, from socialism. This evil economic model must be denounced in every corner of our civil society and around the world,” said Rep. Maria Salazar. “Our resolution makes it clear that the House of Representatives and freedom-loving Americans will never fall for the deceit and destruction that socialism brings, and we will do everything in our power to prevent it from expanding in America.”
What Members Said:
“I rise in strong support of House Concurrent Resolution 9 to denounce the atrocities perpetuated by socialism across the world. If you want to see the difference between socialism and freedom, take a look at North Korea at night versus South Korea. As an immigrant who grew up in South Korea during the aftermath of [the] Korean War, I know firsthand the horror, the destruction that socialism has brought to millions of families in the Korean Peninsula,” said Rep. Young Kim.
Rep. Carlos Gimenez condemned the dangerous and violent ideology of socialism.
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