Rep. Barry Moore: COVID-19 emergency declaration is just an excuse to continue Biden's authoritarian policies

Washington, D.C. — Rep. Barry Moore (AL-02) released the following statement after voting in support of H.R. 382, the Pandemic is Over Act and H.R. 497, the Freedom for Healthcare Workers Act. Moore is also a co-sponsor of H.R. 497.

“To continue his authoritarian policies, President Biden recently authorized the 12th extension of the COVID-19 public health emergency declaration almost six months after unequivocally admitting the pandemic was over,” said Moore. “Now after pushback from House Republicans and the American people, Biden has said he will end the declaration in May – four months from now and far too late. The American people know the pandemic is over, and it's time for the federal government to quit fearmongering in an attempt to prolong its power grab and end its persecution of the same nurses and healthcare workers it hailed as heroes when politically convenient."

Background:

H.R. 382, the Pandemic is Over Act, ends the Public Health Emergency (PHE) on the date of enactment and forces the Biden Administration to be transparent with the American people if he needs further authority. 

H.R. 497, the Freedom for Healthcare Workers Act, eliminates the one-size-fits-all federal vaccine mandate and allows hospitals, nursing homes, and other providers to safely staff their facilities without extra government hurdles.

The White House has falsely claimed that ending the Public Health Emergency would also end the Title 42 restrictions on migrants entering the country. However, PHE declarations under section 319 of the Public Health Service (PHS) Act and Title 42 (42 USC 265) are separate authorities.