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House Republicans Will Vote to End Another One of Biden’s Failed COVID-19 Policies

Washington, D.C., February 8, 2023
  • House Republicans
After Joe Biden’s admission that the “pandemic is over,” House Republicans will build on our victories for freedom last week by voting on a resolution led by Rep. Thomas Massie that eliminates President Biden’s needless COVID-19 vaccine mandate on international travelers by airplane.
 
The U.S. is currently the only major Western country that still has a COVID-19 vaccine mandate on international travelers. According to the U.S. Travel Association, this mandate is estimated to have cost the United States nearly $90 BILLION of international travel spending in 2022 when compared to 2019 levels. By lagging behind the numerous other countries that have already removed their COVID-19 vaccine mandates on travelers, Joe Biden is hurting America’s competitiveness on the world stage.
                                                                                     
FULFILLING OUR COMMITMENT TO A FUTURE THAT’S BUILT ON FREEDOM:
  • H.R. 185 blocks an April 7, 2022, CDC Order that requires international travelers to show proof of COVID-19 vaccination in order to enter the U.S. on an airplane.
    • Additionally, this bill will prevent the CDC from implementing any similar order to require proof of COVID-19 vaccination to enter the U.S.
  • The COVID-19 vaccination order is a totally separate and distinct order from the COVID-19 testing requirement for travelers coming from China. 
  • H.R. 185 only terminates and defunds the vaccination requirement order for incoming air travelers and would have no effect on the testing order.
  • The testing order will remain in place.
    • Note: This CDC Order is not tied to the Public Health Emergency (PHE) and will not end on May 11th, having the potential to remain in place indefinitely.
  • Countries all around the world are continuing to update and relax COVID-19 policies, including:
    • Canada dropped all COVID-19 border restrictions in September 2022.
    • Australia no longer requires people declaring their vaccination status as of July 2022.
    • Germany no longer requires proof of vaccination or a negative test for entry.
 
EFFECTS OF DEMOCRATS’ PANDEMIC POWER GRAB: 
  • According to the U.S. Travel Association, the U.S. is forecasted to have lost nearly 30 MILLION international visitors in 2022 because of Joe Biden’s extended COVID-19 vaccine mandate on foreign travelers by airplane.
    • This loss in travelers equates to nearly $90 BILLION in international travel spending that would have benefited the U.S. economy, when adjusted for inflation.
    • The U.S. international trade surplus decreased by more than 90% in 2022 compared to 2019.
  • The U.S. is currently the only major Western country that still has a COVID-19 vaccine mandate on international travelers.
  • In a September interview, Joe Biden said “the pandemic is over.” 
  • But the Biden Administration extended the PHE for COVID-19 on January 11, 2023 and on January 30, 2023 to May 11th, marking the twelfth time it has been renewed since its initial declaration. 
  • He also extended the National Emergency Declaration for COVID-19 to that date.
    • These short extensions are feeble attempts by the Biden Administration to save face in response to House Republicans’ legislation last week that will restore Americans’ Constitutional rights and freedoms after two long years of Democrats’ COVID-19 power grab policies.
  • Last week, House Republicans began our fight to end Democrats’ pandemic power grab by passing legislation to end the COVID-19 National Emergency Declaration, require federal employees to return to the office, repeal the PHE for COVID-19, and nullify the COVID-19 vaccine mandate for healthcare workers.                                                                                                                          
BOTTOM LINE: The COVID-19 pandemic is over—even Joe Biden knows it. It’s long past time to return to normalcy.