Senate Votes To End Covid Emergency

“The pandemic is over,” 

The Senate adopted a resolution to end the national emergency declaration related to COVID-19 on Wednesday, sending it to President Joe Biden who is expected to sign it.

In a 68-23 roll call vote, several Democrats crossed the aisle to support the measure, H.J. Res.7, which was adopted by the House in February. The resolution’s approval in the Senate highlights bipartisan agreement that the U.S. has emerged from the emergency phase of the coronavirus pandemic – though some disagreement remains over when to make the move official.

“The pandemic is over,” the measure’s sponsor

, Republican Rep. Paul Gosar of Arizona, tweeted shortly before the vote. “It's time to end the COVID-19 National Emergency Declaration and take away 123 special emergency powers from the executive branch.”

Sen. Roger Marshall, Kansas Republican, echoed a similar message on the Senate floor before the vote.

“Emergency powers are given to the executive branch so the commander in chief has the flexibility to quickly act in the event of a crisis,” Marshall said. “That declaration was appropriate in 2020, but now it's time for the proper constitutional checks and balances to be restored. It's time to end any and all authoritarian control and unilateral spending decisions without congressional consent.”

The Biden administration previously announced plans to end the declaration in May. But a White House official reportedly said that, while the president doesn’t agree with the measure, if it comes to his desk, “he will sign it, and the administration will continue working with agencies to wind down the national emergency with as much notice as possible to Americans who could potentially be impacted.”

Fox News