(The Guardian) White House to end Covid emergency, eyes declaring reproductive health crisis
It’s been three years since Covid-19 broke out across the United States and the government took extraordinary measures to stop it from spreading. Now, it appears one of those steps is coming to an end, with the White House announcing it will allow the national emergencies declared to fight the pandemic to lapse on 11 May, a statement it made in response to Republican legislation to force their hand on the matter. Much has changed in the country since the anxious early days of Covid-19, including the end of the nationwide right to abortion, and there are reports that Joe Biden is also considering declaring a separate public health emergency aimed at ensuring access to reproductive healthcare.
When it comes to Washington and emergencies, it’s out with the old, in with the new.
The old, of course, are the national and public health emergencies declared by Donald Trump to fight Covid-19 as it began its disastrous spread across the country in 2020. Republicans were always uneasy with the idea of restricting what Americans could do in a bid to halt transmission of the virus, and the House GOP will today introduce two bills that would end the emergencies. But the Biden White House took some wind out of their sails by announcing they plan to let both expire on 11 May, while warning that a sudden termination could negatively affect everything from border security to health insurance.
Regardless of how or when those emergencies end, we may be getting another one declared soon. Biden is a supporter of abortion rights, and Axios reports that his department of health and human services secretary Xavier Becerra is weighing announcing a public health emergency aimed at ensuring Americans can continue obtaining abortions, even after the supreme court allowed states to ban the procedure entirely last year. Such a declaration could ensure people are able to receive abortion medication no matter where they are, but may not hold up in court.
It’s been three years since Covid-19 broke out across the United States and the government took extraordinary measures to stop it from spreading. Now, it appears one of those steps is coming to an end, with the White House announcing it will allow the national emergencies declared to fight the pandemic to lapse on 11 May, a statement it made in response to Republican legislation to force their hand on the matter. Much has changed in the country since the anxious early days of Covid-19, including the end of the nationwide right to abortion, and there are reports that Joe Biden is also considering declaring a separate public health emergency aimed at ensuring access to reproductive healthcare.
When it comes to Washington and emergencies, it’s out with the old, in with the new.
The old, of course, are the national and public health emergencies declared by Donald Trump to fight Covid-19 as it began its disastrous spread across the country in 2020. Republicans were always uneasy with the idea of restricting what Americans could do in a bid to halt transmission of the virus, and the House GOP will today introduce two bills that would end the emergencies. But the Biden White House took some wind out of their sails by announcing they plan to let both expire on 11 May, while warning that a sudden termination could negatively affect everything from border security to health insurance.
Regardless of how or when those emergencies end, we may be getting another one declared soon. Biden is a supporter of abortion rights, and Axios reports that his department of health and human services secretary Xavier Becerra is weighing announcing a public health emergency aimed at ensuring Americans can continue obtaining abortions, even after the supreme court allowed states to ban the procedure entirely last year. Such a declaration could ensure people are able to receive abortion medication no matter where they are, but may not hold up in court.
