The Senate passed a resolution March 29 that would expedite the end of the COVID-19 national emergency from its planned May 11 deadline to immediately upon the signature of the president, and President Joe Biden has reportedly indicated he will sign it.
The COVID-19 national and public health emergencies, enacted in March 2020, are currently set to expire May 11 under a plan rolled out by the Biden administration in January. H.J. Res. 7, the Republican-led resolution that cleared the Senate March 29 by a 68-23 vote, is a one-line measure stating the national emergency "is hereby terminated."
"The President strongly opposes H.J. Res. 7, and the administration is planning to wind down the COVID national emergency and public health emergency on May 11," a White House official told The Hill. "If this bill comes to his desk, however, he will sign it, and the administration will continue working with agencies to wind down the national emergency with as much notice as possible to Americans who could potentially be impacted."
The national emergency is one of several federal emergency declarations dating back to the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic and separate from the PHE, which is still set to expire May 11. The national emergency has fewer broad implications but still covers measures that apply to the healthcare system, such as the extension of election and notice deadlines for COBRA.