Americans for Prosperity, Concerned Veterans for America & The LIBRE Initiative Support H.R. 382 “The Pandemic is Over Act”

Chairman Guthrie’s The Pandemic is Over Act is long overdue. On behalf of the thousands of citizens Americans for Prosperity, Concerned Veterans for America and the LIBRE Initiative represent, we are urging lawmakers to VOTE YES on H.R. 382. Americans of all walks of like have felt the consequences of the unnecessary extension of the Public Health Emergency which has allowed unchecked, harmful policies to remain in place. The federal government prohibited states from removing ineligible individuals from their Medicaid program. This diverted billions of dollars away from delivering essential medical care to elderly, disabled, and child Medicaid enrollees living in poverty. Ending the federal COVID-19 public health emergency will help ensure states can effectively deliver care to those that needed it most. Additionally, Congress should act to restore its authority to end or continue presidentially declared public health emergencies. It is time for our country to be free from the unnecessary, unhelpful and ineffective restraints the COVID19 Public Health Emergency imposes. This is why the full weight of our organization is behind this bill and we support its timely passage.

Brent Gardner, Chief Government Affairs Officer at Americans for Prosperity, issued the following statement: “Last fall, as Americans were planning their holiday travel the President admitted that the pandemic was over. And he was right.

Despite this admission and the country returning to its pre-pandemic behavior, his administration continued its wild abuse of executive emergency powers to extend the COVID public health emergency a dozen times. Not due to public health, but instead to keep the administrative policy changes in place that Congress has not and would not put into law. Such policies have hurt the economy, piled up additional debt and widened the gaps in our healthcare systems. Their justification for the never-ending extensions are weak at best and lack transparency. The President has been running with scissors under a nonsensical public health emergency and Congress should take rightful action to stop it.

Representative Guthrie’s “The Pandemic is Over Act” ends this nonsense. By simply ending the COVID19 public health emergency, Congress can take back its authority to determine whether a presidentially-declared emergency is appropriate and can return to normal, more sound budget practices. This is a no-brainer and we strongly urge lawmakers to VOTE YES on “The Pandemic is Over Act”

Russ Duerstine, Executive Director of Concerned Veterans for America, issued the following statement: “National emergency declarations grant sweeping powers to deal with extraordinary situations. Because these declarations give unchecked authorities to the Executive branch which we would not normally grant, they must be targeted to the emergency at hand and temporary like the crises they address.

President Biden declared the COVID-19 pandemic “over” more than four months ago, but the related emergency declaration is still in place. The White House should not continue to insist on extra powers for a crisis it says is ended.

Leaving the COVID-19 emergency in place risks its further misuse to bypass Congress in pursuit of sweeping policy goals unrelated to the pandemic. As veterans, we support the separation of powers established in the Constitution we swore to protect and defend. Rep. Guthrie is right to reassert Congress’ appropriate role in providing Executive oversight.”

Daniel Garza, Founder and President of The LIBRE Initiative, issued the following statement: “The American people are better served when lawmakers are not governing by executive fiats and one-size-fits all policies. Now is the time to turn the page and end the COVID-19 public health emergency powers so that we can focus on enacting common sense bipartisan fixes to improve our health care system.

The Latino community, like all Americans, is looking to Washington to do this – and one of the best ways they can do this is by supporting a personal option – a series of measures lawmakers can do to create increased flexibility, greater access and better quality care.

We commend Rep. Guthrie for introducing legislation to end the COVID-19 public health emergency powers and look forward to working with lawmakers, from both sides of the aisle, to improve our health care system.”