# Plain Language Summary: H.J. RES. 7

This bill would officially end the national emergency that President Trump declared on March 13, 2020, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. That emergency declaration, known as Proclamation 9994, gave the federal government special powers to respond quickly to the crisis without going through the normal bureaucratic processes. It allowed the government to redirect funds, suspend certain regulations, and take other emergency actions faster than usual.

Ending this emergency declaration would mean that those special powers would no longer be available. The government would have to follow regular procedures for any new COVID-related actions or funding. However, it's important to understand that this doesn't automatically undo everything that happened during the emergency—things like vaccine distribution programs, hospital funding, or other COVID-related policies would continue unless Congress or the President specifically changes them through other means. This resolution is essentially saying "the emergency is over, so we no longer need these special emergency powers."

The bill was introduced in January 2023 by a group of House Republicans who believed the emergency declaration should have ended earlier. At that time, the emergency was still technically in effect even though vaccines were widely available and life had largely returned to normal. This resolution represents one side of a debate about when emergency powers should end and whether they had been kept in place longer than necessary.

Relating to a national emergency declared by the President on March 13, 2020.

Rep. Gosar, Paul A. [R-AZ-9]

 <p>This joint resolution terminates the national emergency concerning COVID-19 declared by the President on March 13, 2020.</p>