Twenty-one states filed a lawsuit on Tuesday, demanding that a federal rule requiring passengers to wear masks on aircraft, buses, subways, and other forms of public transportation be repealed immediately.
The initiative proposed by primarily Republican-led states is the most recent attempt to repeal the requirement, which was enacted in February 2021, just after President Biden assumed office. This month, the mandate will be extended until April 18th. The lawsuit names the directors of the CDC, the Transportation Security Administration, the Department of Health and Human Services, and the Department of Homeland Security as plaintiffs.
Biden Administration's Transportation Mask Mandate Infringes States' Freedom
In recent weeks, the CDC changed its masking recommendations and states have generally abandoned masking restrictions in public places. One of the most high-profile federal pandemic-related laws remaining in force is the mask requirement for transportation settings. The American Public Transportation Association also wrote to the White House earlier this month, urging the government to reconsider the mask policy.
It claims that the requirement infringes on states' freedom to create their regulations and that governments have been obliged to spend resources to enforce it or face fines. The lawsuit also claims that the CDC did not examine lesser alternatives while adapting the mandate, as per The Washington Post via MSN.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R), whose state is leading the multi-state case, claimed that the federal mandate was not based on any science during a press conference. In a statement, West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey (R) said that the mask mandate was robbing citizens of their rights.
Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Utah, Virginia, and West Virginia are the states interested in the case. The CDC declined to comment on ongoing lawsuits, according to The Hill.
The Transportation Security Administration has also stated that it will not comment on ongoing legal proceedings. The news comes after US airlines launched a similar campaign earlier this month to repeal the federal mask rule, which they claim has forced their staff to become enforcers of the law.
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Americans Are Deemed To Be Confused of the Federal Mask Mandate
As more Americans have gotten immunizations and booster doses, the number of COVID-19 cases has decreased. The virus, though, continues to be a menace. As of this week, approximately 27,000 new cases each day have been documented, with nearly 700 individuals dying each day from COVID-19.
Many states and localities have already repealed COVID-19 limitations, citing a decrease in incidence and hospitalizations in their communities. Last Monday, CEOs from all major US airlines urged Biden to repeal the federal transportation mask rule as well as the international COVID-19 pre-departure testing requirement
The lawsuit says that the Biden administration continues to apply a faulty interpretation of quarantine legislation, that the regulation is arbitrary and capricious, and that it goes beyond the CDC's jurisdiction. Florida sued the Biden administration in October over a COVID-19 vaccination requirement for government contractors.
Local litigation over school mask rules and a legal dispute against Norwegian Cruise Line for forcing passengers to produce proof of COVID-19 immunization also implicated the state, WUWM reported.
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