Mar 29, 2023
White House not expected to veto resolution to end COVID national emergency
Mar 29, 2023
Illustration: Brendan Lynch/Axios
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has told Democratic colleagues that the White House said President Biden won't veto a GOP-led resolution to end the COVID national emergency, a Senate Democratic source told Axios' Andrew Solender.
Why it matters: The Senate will bring the measure to the floor this afternoon, and since the measure has already passed the House, it would likely become law if Biden doesn't stand in the way.
- The Senate is planning to vote on the resolution at 5:45, and it's almost sure to pass since it passed the Senate twice during the previous Congress.
- The White House has not responded to a request for comment.
Reality check: The national emergency was already going to end on May 11.
Between the lines: Ending the emergency early will terminate some of the flexibility that Medicare, Medicaid and COBRA have been able to exercise.
- That includes deadlines for signing up for COBRA plans or filing COBRA claims, as well as waiving certain requirements for federal health programs that make it easier for providers to serve patients.
- Read more on the specifics around these emergency rollbacks in our previous story.
