The United States Senate voted this week by an overwhelming and bi-partisan margin of 68-23 in favor of H.J. Res 7, legislation I introduced terminating the COVID-19 national emergency declaration. The Senate action follows the House of Representatives passing my bill on February 1, 2023. Mr. Biden is now expected to soon sign H.J.Res.7 into law.

To quote my favorite President, Donald J. Trump, this is BIGLY because it terminates the extreme executive branch powers granted under the COVID-19 emergency declaration that are now unnecessary and were abused by the Biden administration.

How did we get here? On March 13, 2020, President Trump rightfully declared a national emergency concerning COVID-19. But by mid-2020, it was obviously no longer a national emergency, but a limited pandemic that largely impacted the elderly and the immuno-compromised.

Why did it take so long for Congress to act? By law, Congress must consider a resolution of termination of national emergencies after six months, and every six months after the emergency declaration continues.

In accordance with law, I set out to review termination of the declaration and introduced multiple resolutions, including H.J.Res.46, H.J.Res.52, S.J.Res.38, S.J.Res.63 and multiple letters to require Congress to debate the merits of the continued emergency declaration. However, Joe Biden and Nancy Pelosi repeatedly blocked debate about the merits of the extended declaration. So worried about losing power, former Speaker Nancy Pelosi even changed the rules of the entire House to prevent members of Congress from considering the resolution.

Finally, on February 1, 2023, under the new Republican majority, the House of Representatives passed my bill, H.J.Res 7, and the legislation was sent to the Senate where it was required to be considered in an expeditious manner. And this week, the Senate voted.

Why is it such a big deal? This week’s actions by the Senate helps to end the more than 120 presidential authorities provided under the emergency declaration and safeguard our country from any further abuses by Mr. Biden. The National Emergencies Act is meant to provide a check against presidential exploitation by mandating congressional review. One such abuse was Mr. Biden’s use of the national emergency declaration as the justification for his failed student loan forgiveness “program.”

Ending the emergency powers will also open the door to allow Republicans in Congress the ability to claw back the billions of unspent dollars that Mr. Biden has moved around under the so-called guise of a pandemic and put towards strengthening Social Security.

Last September, Mr. Biden asserted “the pandemic is over,” ‘cases are down,’ and America has opened back up. Yet, Joe Biden nevertheless extended the COVID-19 national emergency declaration simply to force Americans to live under extreme measures that deprive us of our freedoms.

I am pleased that both the Senate and House of Representatives have now passed legislation requiring the Biden administration to finally end the outdated and abusive COVID-19 national emergency declaration. The pandemic has long been over, and there is no reason to keep emergency powers for an emergency that has ended. Our long national nightmare is over.   back...