Hoeven, Cramer join vote to end COVID-19 emergency, send bill to Biden’s desk

WASHINGTON (KMOT) – North Dakota’s U.S. Senators both voted Wednesday in favor of a resolution to expedite the ending of the country’s COVID-19 emergency declaration, three years after its declaration.

The declaration, put in place by then-President Donald Trump in March 2020, was set to expire in May.

A report from The New York Times indicates that the end of the declaration will lead to changes in costs and coverage of COVID-19 tests and treatment.

According to a report from CNN, President Joe Biden opposes the bill, but still intends to sign it when it hits his desk.

Sen. Kevin Cramer, R-ND, criticized the continuation of the emergency, saying it’s allowed the Biden administration to “ram through unrelated, illegal policies like student loan forgiveness.”

Sen. John Hoeven, R-ND, said the vote would “put a stop to the unnecessary and burdensome COVID-19 mandates and policies immediately.”

The Senate approved the resolution by a vote of 68-23. In February, the U.S. House passed the resolution by a vote of 229-197.