21 States Suing Biden Administration Over Federal Public Transportation Mask Mandate
21 states are suing the Biden administration over the federal mask mandate on pubic transportation, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis announced at a press conference Tuesday.
"If politicians and celebrities can attend the Super Bowl unmasked, every U.S. citizen should have the right to fly unmasked," DeSantis said, via Fox News. "It is well past time to get rid of this unnecessary mandate and get back to normal life."
DeSantis argued that the logistics of the mandate are not rooted in science.
"It's not something grounded in any science," DeSantis said. "If you have somebody sitting in the window seat, and they're nibbling on peanuts for 2 ½ hours, they have their mask down."
Under the current mandate enacted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), masks are required on airplanes, in airports and other means of public transportation. The Biden administration has set a deadline of April 18 to lift the mandate.
Airlines for America’s (A4A) Board of Directors sent a letter to the White House Wednesday, urging for the removal of the mask mandate and pre-departure testing.
"It makes no sense that people are still required to wear masks on airplanes, yet are allowed to congregate in crowded restaurants, schools and at sporting events without masks, despite none of these venues having the protective air filtration system that aircraft do," the letter reads, via NPR.
Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody said that President Biden's travel policies are an unlawful power grab.
"This order is completely outside the bounds of the scope of federal power," Moody said. "President Biden’s shortsighted, heavy-handed and unlawful travel policies are frustrating travelers and causing chaos on public transportation."
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