US Senate votes to end Covid national emergency

Biden extends the national pandemic emergency first declared in March 2020 | New York Times - Vimal Patel:

February 19, 2022 - "President Biden said on Friday that he would extend the national emergency that was first declared in March 2020 in response to the coronavirus pandemic. The additional authority had been set to expire on March 1. The decision, contained in a letter from Mr. Biden to Congress that the White House made public, comes as a wave of coronavirus cases driven by the highly transmissible Omicron variant recedes in the United States, and many states and localities ease pandemic restrictions....

"A national emergency conveys special powers. It frees the federal government from abiding by some legal constraints, allowing it to spend additional money and more easily take certain actions.... President Donald J. Trump first declared the pandemic a national emergency on March 13, 2020."
Read more: https://www.nytimes.com/live/2022/02/19/world/covid-19-tests-cases-vaccine

Senate passes resolution to end federal COVID state of emergency | Washington Times - Kerry Picket:

March 3, 2022 - "Senate lawmakers passed a resolution Thursday to end the federal COVID state of emergency, voting strictly along party lines 48-47 with Republicans voting in favor of the measure and Democrats against. The resolution was introduced last month by Sen. Roger Marshall, Kansas Republican and co-sponsored by Republican Sens. Mike Braun of Indiana, Mike Lee of Utah, Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, Ted Cruz of Texas, Rand Paul of Kentucky, Rick Scott of Florida and Steve Daines of Montana.... Under the National Emergencies Act, Congress can discontinue a national state of emergency by voting on a disapproval resolution.

"The national state of emergency, initially signed in March 2020 by former President Trump, was renewed by President Biden last year and scheduled to expire on March 1 of this year. Mr. Biden, however, extended the national emergency declaration indefinitely.

"Mr. Braun, during floor remarks, said the declaration was once necessary but it is now a 'burden'.... 'When this emergency was first declared two years ago this week, it was needed. Things were uncertain. It was gratifying to see that in a bipartisan way in March of 2020, we came together. But we’ve learned so much since then. Now, it is a burden,' he said. Mr. Braun concluded that 'if we are going to live with this virus and move forward as a country, we must end the national emergency, and governors across the country should follow suit.'"
Read more: https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2022/mar/3/senate-passes-resolution-end-federal-covid-state-e/

Senate votes to end Covid-19 emergency declaration, Biden threatens veto | Politico - Alice Miranda Ollstein:

March 3, 2022 - "A bill by Senate Republicans to terminate the national emergency declaration for the Covid-19 pandemic passed 48 to 47 Thursday on a party-line vote. While the legislation has a slim chance of passing the Democrat-controlled House and President Joe Biden has already threatened to veto the bill, the vote is yet another rebuke of the administration’s pandemic policies at a time it is seeking billions from Congress to keep them going for several more months....

"Democrats blasted the effort as a threat to the country’s ongoing work to contain the pandemic — pointing out that, should the bill become law, it could halt a host of Covid-19-specific policies and protections.... The White House on Thursday pledged to veto the bill if it reached Biden’s desk, calling the GOP attempt to terminate the pandemic emergency declaration 'a reckless and costly mistake.'

"Republicans have recently used a different procedural tactic to pass two bills through the Senate, voting to repeal Biden’s vaccine mandates for large corporations and for health care workers. Neither made it through the Democratic-controlled House. The Supreme Court recently blocked the mandate for businesses but upheld the rule for health workers."
Read more: https://www.politico.com/news/2022/03/03/senate-votes-to-end-covid-19-emergency-declaration-biden-threatens-veto-00013946