A group of House Republicans sent a letter to President Joe Biden on Thursday calling on his administration to end the COVID Public Health Emergency (PHE).
The Daily Caller first obtained the letter, which was spearheaded by North Carolina Rep. Greg Murphy and signed by 22 other Republicans. In the letter, the lawmakers press Biden over his administration’s decision to extend the COVID public health emergency into at least April 2023. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) first declared COVID-19 a public health emergency almost three years ago on Jan. 27, 2020.
Murphy, the only practicing surgeon in Congress and is vice chair of the GOP Doctors Caucus, has been extremely critical of the Biden administration’s handling of the pandemic.
“The American people have entrusted our incoming House Republican majority to hold the Biden Administration accountable – and that is exactly what we intend to do,” Murphy told the Daily Caller before sending the letter. “I’m proud to lead my colleagues in our effort to demand transparency and results from this Administration which has thus far refused to answer to American families.” (RELATED: Biden Can’t End The COVID Public Health Emergency — His Agenda Is Depending On It)
“Public Health Emergency declarations are reserved for extreme events which warrant authorizing the President of the United States with temporary executive powers to handle serious crises including the viral spread of infection, major hurricanes, and other severe storms,” he continued. “There’s no question that the Trump Administration rightfully deployed the PHE in 2020 as a necessary response to COVID-19. However, what began as a genuine policy measure under the former Administration to combat a crisis has devolved into an unprecedented dictatorial abuse of power under President Biden.”
Here Are The Questions Asked In The Letter:
- When does your administration plan to end the PHE and the national emergency declared on March 13, 2020?
- What is your public health rationale for continuing the PHE?
- What objective, scientific metrics is your administration evaluating to discern when it is appropriate to end the PHE?
- What PHE regulatory flexibilities are still in place?
- What is the estimated cost to the American taxpayer of continuing these flexibilities?
READ THE LETTER HERE:
(DAILY CALLER OBTAINED) — … by Henry Rodgers
Murphy also mentioned that Biden declared to “60 Minutes” in September that the coronavirus pandemic is “over.”
“Despite openly declaring that the ‘pandemic is over’ earlier year, President Biden has continued to weaponize his emergency powers to push through his radical policy agenda. The American people merit an explanation,” he said. “From his illegal extension of the CDC eviction moratorium and unconstitutional student loan scam to his forced mask and vaccine mandates, Biden has systematically used the PHE declaration to overstep his legal authority.”
“President Biden must immediately respond to our inquiry and explain his public health power rationale for what even Dr. Fauci calls a nation ‘out of the pandemic phase,'” Murphy added. (RELATED: Biden Admin To Extend COVID-19 Public Health Emergency Into April 2023)
The White House did not immediately respond to the Caller’s inquiry about the letter.