FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
July 14, 2021
Contact: Press@paul.senate.gov, 202-224-4343
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) introduced the Travel Mask Mandate Repeal Act of 2021, legislation to prohibit the imposition of mask mandates on public transportation. U.S. Representative Andy Biggs (R-AZ-5) will be introducing companion legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives later this week. The Senate version of the bill is currently cosponsored by Senators Mike Braun (R-IN), Tom Cotton (R-AR), Roger Marshall (R-KS), and Roger Wicker (R-MS).
“The federal government forcing the American people to continue to wear masks despite the fact that we’ve already reached herd immunity is ridiculous and needs to end immediately,” said Dr. Paul. “I am introducing the Travel Mask Mandate Repeal Act of 2021 to put a stop to this nanny state mandate of requiring masks on public transportation. In a free county people will evaluate their personal risk factors and are smart enough to ultimately make medical decisions like wearing a mask themselves.”
“There is no scientific evidence for the continuation of mask mandates on public transportation. Bottom line, mask mandates are old news, and are only being kept in place by those who relish controlling our day-to-day lives. The viral spread is collapsing and our normal lives are returning. It's time for the CDC to follow the science and end the tyrannical COVID-19 restrictions once and for all,” said Representative Biggs.
“It is far, far past time to end the federal government’s contradictory one-size-fits-all COVID mandates, including the rule requiring masks on planes and public transportation,” said Senator Braun.
“Mask mandates have outlived their usefulness, yet they remain in effect on flights and other modes of public transportation. This policy discourages family travel and forces Americans with children—especially those with disabilities—to cancel travel or else live in fear that an untimely tantrum or bad day could ruin their trip and cost them more than a thousand dollars in fines. Our bill will put an end to this unscientific and punitive practice,” said Senator Cotton.
“Unelected bureaucrats don’t make laws, Congress does. After over a year of battling COVID-19, our communities and states have reopened, and our nation has finally regained a sense of normalcy,” said Senator Marshall. “It’s past time for the federal government to restore Americans’ freedoms and remove these unnecessary rules.”
“Americans have been told for more than a year to ‘trust the science,’ and the science now says it is safe to resume normal life once we have been vaccinated,” said Senator Wicker. “Getting the vaccine significantly lowers the risk of contracting and becoming sick from the coronavirus across all activities, including travel. I am pleased to join my colleagues in pushing to end the unnecessary federal mask mandate and bring travel in line with other major sectors of the economy.”
You can read the Travel Mask Mandate Repeal Act of 2021 in its entirety HERE.
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