Source: OhioHealth Government Relations Newsletter April 2022
It is unlikely the Senate will pass a bipartisan $10 billion COVID relief bill. Many Republicans – with the support of some Democrats – are trying to use the legislation as a vehicle to extend immigration restrictions put in place under the Trump presidency.
Senate Republicans want Democrats to allow a vote on an amendment that would extend an order that made it easier to deport migrants at the border; the order specifically allowed the government to take emergency action to expedite deportations if there are public health concerns, such as the COVID-19 pandemic.
On April 1, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced that the order would be terminated on Monday, May 23. The timing coincided with a bipartisan agreement in the Senate to provide $10 billion in funding for drugs, vaccines, and tests as requested by the Biden Administration. And that is what has put the fate of the legislation in peril.
The bipartisan support for continuing the order has created a logistical headache for the White House and Democratic leaders. If the Senate approves extending the order as part of the COVID package, then the legislation could be doomed in the House of Representatives, where Democrats largely support terminating the order. As a result, Congress may have to punt on the bill and try to resolve it when lawmakers return later this month.