President Biden scoffed at a Senate-passed bill to end the coronavirus national emergency, calling the Republican attempt a 'reckless and costly mistake.'
The bill to terminate the declaration under the National Emergencies Act passed the Senate 48-47, with three Democrats and two Republicans absent from the vote. The national emergency was first enacted in March 2020 under President Trump.
The White House said that if the bill were to reach the president's desk. It said that the national emergency declaration is needed for 'ensuring that necessary supplies are promptly available to respond to the virus and facilitating the delivery of health care.'
Absent on the Democrat side for the vote were Sens. Dianne Feinstein, who is mourning the loss of her husband, Alex Padilla, who recently tested positive for Covid-19, and Mark Kelly. Republicans Jim Inhofe, who also recently contracted Covid-19, and Richard Burr were absent from voting.
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