As mask mandates and social distancing restrictions continue to be lifted across the country, the Senate passed a bill to end the Covid-19 state of National Emergency today in a party line vote.  The passage of the bill was made possible because of three Democratic Senators who were not present.  Two Republican Senators were also not present, making it a 48-47 vote.

The Epoch Times Reports-

 

 

 

“The U.S. Senate on March 3 approved a measure that would end the national emergency over COVID-19.

The resolution passed 48–47 on a party-line vote.

All Republicans voted for S.J.Res. 38, which would end the national emergency declared by President Donald Trump on March 13, 2020. All Democrats voted against the declaration, which has been extended twice by President Joe Biden.

Five senators missed the vote, including three Democrats.

“After nearly two years of living under this state of emergency, the American people are worn out and yearning to breathe free; they long for their God-given freedoms, and for leaders to take their side. There is no doubt, it’s time for our nation to learn to live with COVID,” Sen. Roger Marshall (R-Kan.), who introduced the measure, said in a statement after the vote.”

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-Ny.) explained why Democrats opposed the measure, saying it would prevent the Biden administration from being able to fight the pandemic if a new strain develops and that it was too early to lift the emergency measures, saying it “would precisely handicap the Biden administration’s ability to fight the pandemic and heighten the danger that all our progress is suddenly unraveled in the future,”