OPINION:
The White House, in the coming days, will make a decision on whether or not to continue a couple of the emergency declarations tied to COVID-19.
It’s high time to stop with the hysteria.
The coronavirus hasn’t been an emergency for the general public for a very, very long time — even longer once the data and research are adjusted to show and therefore acknowledge that the most at-risk are the obese, the elderly and those with various other health ailments.
In other words: We know who’s adversely affected by the coronavirus. Let’s stop pretending we don’t. And note to teachers unions: We know it ain’t the kids who are at risk.
So why is America still living under a cloud of emergency declarations?
Two reasons: Pressure from politicized groups. And money.
In January, the American Hospital Association wrote to President Biden, in part, this: “[The AHA] urges you to extend for another year the national emergency concerning the COVID-19 pandemic under the National Emergencies Act. … [W]e are also asking Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra to renew the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE) declaration. Both of these steps are necessary so health care providers can continue to offer the most efficient and effective care.”
That’s code for ‘keep the federal dollars a’comin’.”
The Federal Emergency Management Agency announced in August 2021 that each and every state, tribe and territory that applied for and received a COVID-19-tied emergency declaration — which was all 50 states, the District of Columbia and all five U.S. territories — would be “eligible to receive 4% of those disaster costs to invest in mitigation planning and projects that reduce risks from natural disasters,” FEMA wrote.
At the time, $3.4 billion in Hazard Mitigation Grant Program funds had been authorized for disbursement.
In a release dated Nov. 10, 2021, FEMA reported that Biden announced “funding to support all eligible COVID-19 work will continue at a 100% federal cost share through April 1, 2022. … FEMA will continue to provide 100% of the federal funding for National Guard activities” related to the pandemic.
At the time, FEMA said it “provided more than $32.1 billion in COVID-19 assistance,” including about $6 billion for vaccinations.
The money, oh my, does roll.
In a release dated Feb. 7, 2022, FEMA reported that more than $1.78 billion of COVID-19-related “funeral costs for deaths occurring on or after Jan. 20, 2020,” had been provided for more than 273,000 individuals — with lions’ shares coming from states like New York and California.
This is all but a drop in the bucket.
As Sen. Roger Marshall told Maria Bartiromo on Fox News in a recent interview, it’s the quest for control that really keeps the government drinking at the COVID-19 emergency declaration bucket.
“It is about power,” the Kansas Republican said. “It’s about control. This federal government really thinks it knows what’s best.”
Democrats have shamelessly exploited the coronavirus for political purposes — specifically, to keep the American citizens in a constant state of fear, which is then turned into a tool of subjugation that’s been wielded by the left. Why? Oh, for many reasons; Democrats, for instance, saw how handy it was to keep citizens home during the last election. And Biden is falling ever lower in the polls, dragging party comrades facing midterm challenges with him.
But basically, Democrats, the party of the socialists, the party of the Marxists, the party of the collectivists, love to exert controls and mandate such things as which businesses can stay open, under what conditions kids can return to school, whether and when church-goers are allowed to return to church, or even sing.
For the left, the emergency of the coronavirus is the political gift that keeps on giving.
Marshall said he was introducing a bill to end the emergency declarations of COVID-19, before the next round is due to take effect — March 1.
It’s about time Congress stepped in and did its legislative duty.
If Team Biden, if Team Democrats, have their way, the emergency called COVID-19 will never end — and neither will the powers of Big Government.
• Cheryl Chumley can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com or on Twitter, @ckchumley. Listen to her podcast “Bold and Blunt” by clicking HERE. And never miss her column; subscribe to her newsletter by clicking HERE. Her latest book, “Socialists Don’t Sleep: Christians Must Rise Or America Will Fall,” is available by clicking HERE.
For more information, visit The Washington Times COVID-19 resource page.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.