End the Emergency Powers
Now that the Covid crisis is contained, it’s untenable to keep emergency declarations in place.
Welcome to the new normal.
Photographer: Al Drago/BloombergAs life increasingly returns to its pre-pandemic state, the time has come to revisit the emergency declarations the Trump administration issued in early 2020, which are still in effect — and then pull the plug.
The emergency declarations were necessary to give the federal government wide powers to fight Covid-19, and they proved indispensable in vaccinating two-thirds of the US population for free, maintaining health coverage for millions of Americans, and increasing food assistance for low-income families. But nearly three years later, the expansive powers claimed by the executive branch are still in effect, inviting policy discretion that tests the limits of what’s legal — and holds the possibility for abuse.