Today, House Energy and Commerce Chair Rep. Frank Pallone and Education and Labor Chair Rep. Bobby Scott launched the No Surprises for Covid-19 Tests Act, a bill that would extend free coronavirus testing past the current public health emergency. The bill would extend coverage through the end of 2023, ensuring people aren’t stuck with unknown bills for the tests. In response, Coronavirus War Room Director Nicole Haley said the following:
“The No Surprises for Covid-19 Tests Act is another in the long line of concrete measures taken by Democrats and President Biden to give people the common sense tools they need to keep themselves and their families healthy. Since the beginning of the pandemic, Democrats have been laser-focused on making sure Americans have the tools they need to combat Covid-19. No-cost vaccines and boosters, masks, and at-home testing are all measures that will help get America back on track safely.”
HOW PRESIDENT BIDEN’S ADMINISTRATION IS LEADING US OUT OF THE PANDEMIC
- Shots in Arms: 76 percent of Americans have received at least one dose of a vaccine, and 65 percent are fully vaccinated. Over 93 million Americans have received a booster shot, providing the best protection against the omicron variant. The Biden Administration has made booster shots free and convenient at over 80,000 locations nationwide. Vaccines are our best tool to prevent severe sickness and death from all variants of Covid-19 and they have already prevented 1.1 million deaths and 10.3 million additional Covid hospitalizations.
- New Access To Therapeutic Drugs And High Quality Masks. On January 4, President Biden announced that the federal government doubled the U.S.’ order for Pfizer’s Covid-19 antiviral pill, Paxlovid, which has been shown to reduce hospitalizations and severe illness significantly, another vital tool for reducing suffering and bringing the pandemic to an end. Twenty million doses of Paxlovid continue to be delivered across the country, with the first shipments sent to hospitals on Christmas Eve. In the largest deployment of personal protective equipment in U.S. history, the Biden administration distributed 400 million free, high-quality N95 masks at thousands of sites around the country.
- Increased Testing: Since taking office, the Biden administration has taken numerous steps to increase Americans’ access to vital Covid-19 testing, both at home and at testing sites around the country. There are more than 20,000 free testing sites around the country, including new federal sites deployed in response to the omicron variant surge. Four times as many rapid tests are available for Americans to use at home than were available last summer, and the administration’s wildly successful distribution of half-billion rapid tests this winter provided four free tests to every American household upon request, in addition to an earlier rule requiring insurance companies to reimburse members for their purchase of rapid tests.
- Schools Open: Thanks to the efforts of the Biden administration to provide safe and effective vaccines for students, and funding for masks and ventilation in schools, nearly 100 percent of American students were back in the classroom full time in December 2020, up from under three-quarters at the end of last school year.
- Workers Back To Work: The Biden administration has presided over the largest one year drop in the unemployment rate in U.S. history, and the creation of more than six million jobs, the most of any first year president in history. Despite the devastating Omicron surge, the addition of 467,000 jobs in January served as a strong signal that the economy continues to move in the right direction under President Biden. Thanks to the American Rescue Plan and the success of the vaccination program, workers are able to go back to work more safely and confidently.