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WASHINGTON, D.C. - Congressman Brett Guthrie (KY-02), who serves as the Chair of the Health Subcommittee on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, released the following statement after the Pandemic is Over Act, a bill to end the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE), passed the House.

“The People’s House sent President Biden a clear message: The COVID-19 pandemic is over, and it’s time to move our country beyond operating under a perpetual emergency. The Pandemic is Over Act has moved our country forward, even before the House floor vote today. President Biden the night before my bill was set to be on the House floor announced that he would finally end the COVID-19 emergency declarations.

“It was still critical for the House to pass the Pandemic is Over Act today to ensure Congress has a vehicle to take its authority back and a way to hold President Biden accountable for ending the COVID-19 public health emergency. I hope this bill also results in the Biden Administration finally producing their plans to Congress that my House Republican colleagues and I have been pressing for since last February to unwind the COVID-19 public health emergency.

“To be very clear, Title 42 and the COVID-19 public health emergency are separate authorities, which means my bill to end the COVID-19 public health emergency does not end Title 42. Title 42 is at President Biden’s discretion. If President Biden chooses to end Title 42 when the COVID-19 public health emergency ends without securing the border, then that would represent another failure under the Biden Administration,” said Guthrie.

Click HERE for the letter that Guthrie and his House Republican colleagues sent in February 2022 to President Joe Biden and Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra to press for their plan to unwind the COVID-19 public health emergency.

Guthrie introduced the Pandemic is Over Act on January 17, 2023.

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