Guthrie seeks to move past pandemic

Jan. 21—Rep. Brett Guthrie, a Bowling Green Republican, has filed a bill (Pandemic Is Over Act) in this Congressional term that would end the government public health emergency declared in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The health emergency, declared in 2020, has been extended 12 times, including as recently as earlier this month.

"We've got to get back to where we have checks and balances, where you have oversight," Guthrie said during an interview Friday.

Guthrie said the previous Congress, which was led by the Democratic Party, did not try to have oversight of executive branch decisions made under the public health emergency, and the executive branch "can't govern in a perpetual emergency situation."

Congress could take an action similar to what the Kentucky General Assembly did, when it put a 30-day cap on public health emergencies that can be declared by the governor without involving the legislature, Guthrie said.

"I don't think anyone would doubt in March of 2020 we were in a pandemic public health emergency," Guthrie said.

That declaration allowed changes to how drugs were approved, authorized the Defense Production Act and gave the government broad powers to shut down businesses and schools.

"I don't think we want one person making all of those decisions," Guthrie said.

Republican members of Congress first raised the issue last February.

The emergency declaration was used to start programs that were not directly related to the pandemic, Guthrie said, citing President Joe Biden's student loan forgiveness program.

"I don't think that's what Congress intended when they gave the executive emergency authority, to go on perpetually, and to bring in stuff not related to the pandemic," Guthrie said.

Positive innovations that came about through the emergency declaration should now be codified into law, Guthrie said.

For example, the use of telehealth came out of the declaration, but writing the laws that govern how telehealth is done is the role of Congress.

"We want to make sure, if that works, let's maintain it," he said. Another pandemic innovation that should become law, he said, is allowing health care workers to work in health facilities with emergency certifications.

"I have a bill to continue that, not just in emergency situations," Guthrie said. "... let's figure out what worked, the way we should move forward. Telehealth would be one of those.

"Let's have a bill that puts into statute the things we want to do, stop the things we don't want to do, because we can't just govern under perpetual emergency declaration."

When asked if New York Republican Rep. George Santos should resign from office, Guthrie said he believes Santos should, but said the House would not take action unless there was evidence Santos had broken the law.

Santos was elected in November, but was later found to have fabricated large parts of his résumé, including his work experience, his education and parts of his family history. Santos is also under investigation by the U.S. Attorney's office of the Eastern District of New York over his financial disclosures.

"That's up to him," Guthrie said of Santos resigning. "If I were him, I think he should.

"If he violated the law, he should be removed from Congress."

For Congress to expel Santos, lawmakers should have to have some level of evidence that Santos had committed a crime, Guthrie said.

Guthrie said there are questions about Santos' financial reporting, and that Santos' campaign and financial reports are being reviewed by the House Ethics Committee.

"If he fabricated anything on those, that's a crime and should be handled accordingly," Guthrie said.

On Thursday, the U.S. hit its debt limit, and U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said the Treasury can pay the government's bills through June before going into default. The authority to raise the debt ceiling is with Congress.

Guthrie faulted Biden's statements that he won't negotiate with the GOP in order to raise the debt ceiling.

Guthrie said Sen. Mitch McConnell, the Senate Minority Leader, and GOP House Speaker Kevin McCarthy have said there is going to be a negotiated settlement. McConnell told reporters Thursday the United States "must never default on it's debt. It never has and never will."

"The argument the president makes (for raising the debt ceiling) is this is to pay for past spending, and you've got to pay your bills," Guthrie said. "You absolutely do. But when you hit your credit limit on your credit card ... if you don't change your spending patterns and just up the credit limit on your credit card, you're just going to hit another bubble, another point."

Guthrie said the president and Congress will have to negotiate.

"We have to begin putting our fiscal house in order," he said.