Biden signs bill ending COVID-19 national emergency 

President Biden on Monday signed legislation ending the national emergency for COVID-19 after three years, the White House announced. 

The national emergency, first declared in March 2020 under the Trump administration, allowed the U.S. government to take extraordinary steps to respond to the pandemic, including supporting the healthcare system and imposing immigration restrictions.

Originally, the national emergency was set to end on May 11. However, the bill to end the national emergency, drafted by Rep. Paul Gozar (R-Ariz), passed the House earlier this year with a 220-210 vote along party lines. The Senate cleared the bill last month with a bipartisan vote 68-23, ending the measure a month earlier than planned.

The White House originally opposed the bill, claiming that ending the national emergency “would be a great disservice to the American people.”

“Since Congress voted to terminate the National Emergency earlier than anticipated, the Administration has worked to expedite its wind down and provide as much notice as possible to potentially impacted individuals,” a White House official said.

Some of the affected programs include mortgage forbearance at the Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Veteran Affairs Department's requirements for home visits to evaluate caregiver assistance. 

The termination of the emergency, however, does not impact the separate public health emergency, which is scheduled to end on May 11. The public health emergency allows the U.S. government to provide free COVID-19 tests, treatments, and vaccines, as well as other benefits to minimize the impacts of the pandemic. 

“To be clear, ending the National Emergency will not impact the planned wind-down of the Public Health Emergency on May 11,” the White House official added. 

More than 1.13 million Americans have died from COVID-19 over the last three years, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.