Senators call for end to mask mandate on planes, public transportation

U.S. Sen. Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) joined several senators in introducing legislation calling on the Biden administration to end the mask mandate for fully vaccinated individuals on public transportation throughout the United States, including airports, commercial airplanes, buses, and rail systems.

In May 2021, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) extended its mask mandate for public transportation even for those who have been fully vaccinated.

The senators argued the mask mandate was unnecessary.

“Outside of the beltway, the country is going back to normal,” Lummis said. “Wyoming and most other states lifted their mask mandate months ago. Vaccination rates are increasing and COVID cases are decreasing. The only place most Americans are wearing masks now is in airports and on airplanes. Secretary Buttigieg even said that the mandate is not actually about the science, but instead about ‘respect.’ If there’s no science backing it up, it’s time for the mandate to go.”

According to the CDC, the mandate is necessary because travel increases a person’s risk of infection or infecting others.

“Travel increases a person’s risk of getting and spreading COVID-19 by bringing people in close contact with others, often for prolonged periods, and exposing them to frequently touched surfaces,” the CDC said on its website. “Air travel often requires spending time in security lines and busy airport terminals where staying 6 feet away from others may be challenging. Staying 6 feet away from others may also be difficult on airplanes. People may not be able to distance themselves by the recommended 6 feet from other people seated nearby or from those standing in or passing through the aisles.”

U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) is among the senators that disagree with the CDC’s mandate.

“Over 150 million people in the United States are fully vaccinated and mask mandates have been lifted across the country,” Cruz said. “But the CDC inexplicably still hasn’t lifted the mask mandate for public transportation. It’s long past time for President Biden and the CDC to follow the science and end this mask mandate for fully vaccinated individuals. Americans should be able to travel to celebrate Independence Day with their friends and loved ones without having to follow an outdated and unnecessary mandate.”

Others said the sometimes violent response to mask-wearing on planes should be enough reason to end the mandate.

“I recently spoke with two flight attendants about the mask mandate for air travel,” U.S. Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) said. “Given the horrendous and unthinkable violence that has occurred on flights, one of them was frightened by what would happen if she tried to enforce the mandate. The CDC recently released recommendations significantly curtailing mask requirements both in indoor and outdoor settings. It makes no sense that someone can go to a restaurant without wearing a mask, but they cannot fly on an airplane without one even though it has a far better ventilation system.”

The resolution said that removing the mandate would not only help spur the economic recovery by boosting travel but would also spur the unvaccinated to get vaccines.