Texas Sues Biden Administration To Stop Airline Mask Mandates

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and U.S. Rep. Beth Van Duyne (R - Irving) announced Wednesday that they are suing President Biden's administration on behalf of the state to block federal mask mandates on planes, trains, buses and at corresponding facilities used by travelers where those mask mandates are enforced.

Paxton's team argues that the mandate wasn't authorized by Congress and the CDC didn't "put the mandate up for notice and comment, which is ordinarily required for regulations like this."

"Yet a person's failure to comply with the Administration's mask mandate carries criminal penalties," Paxton and Rep. Van Duyne write in their complaint.

The concept of the spread of coronavirus in the world. Closing air traffic between countries.

The current airline mask mandate is scheduled to expire March 18.

"Biden’s repeated disregard of the individual liberties of Texans is not only disrespectful to the U.S. Constitution, it is also troublesome that any president thinks they can act above the law while hardworking Americans standby," Paxton continued. "President Biden cannot continue governing through executive edicts. Now is the time to strike down his administration’s air-travel mask mandate. I’m proud to stand alongside my friend Congresswoman Van Duyne and her counsel at TPPF to protect Texans’ liberty and the rule of law."

Dr. Anthony Fauci, who serves as Chief Medical Advisor to President Biden, said in December as the Omicron wave was gaining steam that dropping mask mandates shouldn't even be talked about.

"I think the idea of taking masks off, in my mind, is really not something we should even be considering."

Meanwhile, the CDC announced Wednesday that it is planning to update mask guidance in the coming weeks.

"We recognize the importance of not just cases ... but critically, medically severe disease that leads to hospitalizations. We must consider hospital capacity as an additional important barometer," Walensky said during a briefing.

"We want to give people a break from things like mask-wearing when these metrics are better, and then have the ability to reach for them again should things worsen."