Democrats fume after Biden breaks with party on COVID-19 emergency

House Democrats are voicing their displeasure with President Joe Biden after he announced his intention to sign a GOP-led bill to lift the COVID-19 national emergency. This move flies in the face of what Democrats were previously told by Biden, which was to oppose the measure when it was first introduced earlier this year.

After the Senate approved the bill on Wednesday with a vote of 68-23, which included support from dozens of Democrats, the House Democrats expressed their frustration with Biden’s reversal, claiming that they were caught off guard by his decision.

This decision marks the second time that Biden has gone against the wishes of his party this month, with House Democrats still seething over his decision not to veto a Republican-led bill to overturn the revised criminal code being implemented in Washington, D.C.

While the emergency declaration was first issued in January 2020 and has been continually extended in 90-day increments since then, the Biden administration has not yet provided a timeline for when the national emergency will officially end. However, the Department of Health and Human Services has pledged to notify states of its expiration at least 60 days in advance.

Once the national emergency is lifted, it will result in several policy changes, such as affecting insurance markets and treatment approvals. The emergency authorization allowed vaccines, testing, and treatments to be offered for free to the public throughout the pandemic.