House GOP Proposes Bill to End COVID Public Health Emergency

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The Facts

  • On Tuesday, Rep. Brett Guthrie (R-Ky.) and more than a dozen of his Republican colleagues filed a bill to end the COVID-19 public health emergency. The Dept. of Health and Human Services (HHS) declared the state of emergency in response to the pandemic in 2020.

  • Declaring a state of public health emergency gives the government more freedom to deliver federal health programs and also limits the liability of medical professional when dealing with COVID patients.


The Spin

Republican narrative

The public health emergency is an abuse of power, especially now that the pandemic is over. It is just an opportunity for Democrats to bribe their voters by keeping them on the Medicare rolls despite not being qualified. Congress must take back these powers from the executive branch.

Democratic narrative

Just when you thought massive losses by the far-right wing of the Republican party in the midterms might convince the GOP to moderate their views, here they go risking the health of their voters to a preventable virus in order to try and score political points over the Democrats. COVID isn’t over, and policies to mitigate its effects should be kept in place.


Metaculus Prediction


Political split

LEFT

RIGHT