House Republican Conference Chair Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., has begun following through on her pledge to hold Democrats accountable for their "power-grab policies" during the COVID-19 pandemic.
In a press conference at the Capitol, Stefanik said: "This week, House Republicans are voting on legislation to restore our constitutional rights and freedoms after two long years of Democrats' COVID-19 power-grab policies."
The New York Republican maintains that certain Democrat-led COVID-19 policies brought "irreparable damage" to her state, including "children's development, financial strain on our small businesses, and unnecessary deaths among our most vulnerable seniors due to former disgraced Gov. Andrew Cuomo's deadly and fatal nursing home order."
On Monday, the GOP passed the Freedom for Health Care Workers Act, which halts the process of healthcare workers being subject to COVID-19 vaccine mandates.
And on Tuesday, Stefanik voted to pass the Pandemic Is Over Act.
"I voted to force the federal government to confirm what we already know: The pandemic is over," said Stefanik. "After two years of authoritarian lockdowns due to Democrats' COVID-19 power grab, I am proud to restore our constitutional rights and freedoms."
Stefanik continued: "This authoritarian power grab cost not only hundreds of billions of dollars of Americans' hard-earned tax dollars, but our children missed out on critical development due to school closures and mask mandates and over 15,000 of New York's seniors ... unnecessarily died because of Cuomo's deadly nursing home order."
"In my district, the prolonged closure of the northern border and forced vaccine mandates on travelers hurt our small businesses, kept families from reuniting, and hindered our tourism industry," said Stefanik. "House Republicans are committed to a future that is built on freedom, and today we are righting the wrong that two years of authoritarian lockdowns and mandates have forced on the American people."
Stefanik said the previous Congress allowed the Democrats to weaponize the federal government to enforce vaccine mandates and abuse billions of U.S. tax dollars.
But now, "House Republicans will also pass the SHOW UP Act. Americans across the country show up to work every day. There is no reason why federal employees should not be held to the same standard," said Stefanik, while adding that "House Republicans will deliver on our promises to hold Democrats accountable for their failed COVID-19 policies."
The Biden administration reportedly plans to let the coronavirus emergency order expire in May. However, House Republicans are encouraging the White House to drop the order sooner, so other programs can begin in earnest.
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