Scalise: Biden 'Caved' on the COVID Emergencies, So 'Don't Wait Until May' (January 31, 2023)

A day after the White House said it would end the COVID-19 emergencies on May 11, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise said Republicans had forced its hand. “And as Republicans, [when] we ran, we said we would end these emergency declarations to open the country back up again,” Scalise said at a House Republican leadership news conference on Jan. 31, 2023, according to his office [1].

“The problem is the President said he’s going to wait until May. Well, Mr. President, if you know it’s the right thing to do, don’t wait until May. Let’s open our country back up again,” he said [1].

His office said the news conference was about “how President Biden caved to House Republicans.” [1]

The video above shows Scalise’s remarks on Jan. 31, 2023. Quotes are from Scalise’s office, the American Presidency Project, the Clerk of the House and GovInfo [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8].

”Following the Lead of House Republicans”

The day before, Scalise put out a statement. “I am glad to see the White House is following the lead of House Republicans and announcing they plan to finally end the Public Health Emergency and the COVID Emergency Declaration, on the heels of our announcement last week that we will vote this week to immediately end this outdated declaration,” he said [2].

“Rather than waiting until May 11, the Biden Administration should join us now in immediately ending this declaration,” Scalise said [2].

”Hiding Behind the Guise of COVID”

At the news conference, Scalise said the emergencies trigger “billions of dollars a month in Washington spending that has nothing to do with COVID but is hiding behind the guise of COVID.” [1]

“And so, as we put it out there, clearly it caused some dilemmas amongst Democrats who are putting pressure on the White House,” he said [1].

”A Grave Disservice”

The White House fought the bills. Its policy statement on Jan. 30, 2023, noted that the emergencies “were declared by the Trump Administration in 2020” and said “the Administration’s plan is to extend the emergency declarations to May 11, and then end both emergencies on that date.” [3]

It warned that the end of the public health emergency “will end the Title 42 policy at the border.” A sudden end, it said, would require the administration “to allow thousands of migrants per day into the country immediately without the necessary policies in place.” [3]

“The Administration strongly opposes enactment of H.R. 382 and H.J. Res. 7, which would be a grave disservice to the American people,” the statement said [3].

”Washington Shouldn’t Be the Last Place to Get Back to Work”

Scalise also pushed the SHOW UP Act for federal workers. “Millions of Americans have already gone back to work. Americans show up every day to work. Washington shouldn’t be the last place to get back to work, it should have been the first,” he said [1].

“There are still millions of taxpayers across the country in 2023 who still haven’t gotten their IRS return from 2021 because IRS agents aren’t showing up to work. This needs to end,” Scalise said. “People are waiting on passports for more than six months at a time because you can’t process a passport remotely from home.” [1]

He spoke for veterans waiting on paperwork. “Our veterans showed up for work. Those employees at the federal level need to show up for work to help give them their benefits,” Scalise said [1].

On the vaccine mandate for health care workers, he said: “And thousands of health care workers were forced to lose their jobs over that vaccine mandate. That wasn’t even a law. It was a ruling that came out of CMS.” [1]

“Democrats’ COVID-19 Power Grab Policies”

House Republican Conference Chair Elise Stefanik spoke at the same news conference. “This week, House Republicans are voting on legislation to restore our Constitutional rights and freedoms after two long years of Democrats’ COVID-19 power grab policies,” she said, according to her office’s transcript [9].

“The extended COVID lockdowns, like the ones we saw in my home state of New York, caused irreparable damage to our children’s development, financial strain on our small businesses, and unnecessary deaths among our most vulnerable seniors due to former disgraced Governor Andrew Cuomo’s deadly and fatal nursing home order,” Stefanik said [9].

“Under the guise of COVID-19, Democrats’ authoritarian policies weaponized the federal government, forced unconstitutional vaccine mandates, and cost hundreds of billions in waste and abuse of Americans’ hard-earned tax dollars,” she said [9].

On the SHOW UP Act, she said: “Americans across the country show up to work every day. There is no reason why federal employees should not be held to the same standard.” [9]

“The Horrors of Socialism”

Scalise also promoted Congresswoman Salazar’s resolution. “Over 100 million people worldwide have lost their lives to the horrors of socialism, and it’s about time Congress stands up and denounces it,” he said. “I encourage all my Democrat colleagues to join us in voting for that piece of legislation, as well.” [1]

By the Numbers

220-210: the House vote on H.R. 382, the Pandemic is Over Act [4].
229-197: the House vote on H.J. Res. 7, ending the national emergency [5].
221-206: the House vote on the SHOW UP Act [6].
328-86: the House vote denouncing “the horrors of socialism” [7].

What Happened Next

The House voted. The House passed the Pandemic is Over Act on Jan. 31, 2023, 220 to 210, with all 220 Republicans voting yes and all 210 Democrats voting no [4]. On Feb. 1, it passed H.J. Res. 7, 229 to 197, with 11 Democrats joining 218 Republicans [5], and the SHOW UP Act, 221 to 206 [6]. On Feb. 2, a resolution “Denouncing the horrors of socialism” passed 328 to 86 [7].

Biden signed the resolution he opposed. H.J. Res. 7 passed the Senate on March 29, 2023, and was approved on April 10, 2023, as Public Law 118-3. It says “the national emergency declared by the finding of the President on March 13, 2020, in Proclamation 9994 (85 Fed. Reg. 15337) is hereby terminated.” [8]

For the emergency’s start, see HYGO News’ page on March 13, 2020. For the fight over Title 42, see the page on Dec. 15, 2022.