An amendment offered by Sen. J.D. Vance, which would prohibit funds appropriated for the Department of Transportation from being used to enforce a mask mandate in response to the Covid-19 virus, passed the Senate, 59-38, with Alaska’s two senators voting in favor of the amendment.
Although the measure passed on a bipartisan basis, all of the senators voting against the amendment it were Democrats. But it’s notable that there was a split in the Democrats, with many crossing over to support the amendment.
Mask mandates in transportation were part of the federal response to Covid-19, and impacted airline travel, as well as travel in trains, buses, and taxis.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention still says mask mandates are effective in curtailing the spread of the Covid-19 virus, although many health advocates question whether the benefits are worth the enforced regulations, citing personal breathing problems, behavioral issues, and mental health deterioration stemming from the forced wearing of masks.
In January 2021 the CDC mandated that travelers on all public transportation hubs wear masks, in response to President Joe Biden’s executive order mandating them for any and all interstate travel.
The mask mandate extended to all manner of transportation, including those aboard fishing boats in Alaska. In 2021, Murkowski raised objections to the mandate, saying it was endangering those working in already dangerous situations.
“So I’ve got fisherman, commercial fisherman that are out there in the water – I’ve got crabbers, salmon fisherman, and cod fisherman that are trying to deal with a mask because they are concerned about failure to comply. This is more of a safety hazard than anything else. You’re out on a boat, the winds are howling, your mask is soggy wet – tell me how anybody thinks this is a sane and sound policy?” Murkowski said in a hearing involving the head of the CDC at the time, Rochelle Walensky. “You’ve got a situation right now where the fishermen are more concerned about the liability in failing to have the mask on rather than prudent marine safety protocols. This is absolutely, absolutely a crazy policy. I don’t understand how we put our Coast Guard men and women in a situation where they know that safety is an issue, a broader safety issue, than the fear of transmission when you are outdoor, in the elements and you are now being required to wear a mask. So I would hope the CDC would reconsider this quickly, quickly, quickly.”
By April 2022, a federal judge in Florida voided Biden’s mask mandate, saying the mandate overstepped the authority of his office.
I am glad they did the right thing!
The old adage of even blind squirrels find occasional acorns comes to mind.
A blind, bony, corrupt and nepotistic squirrel, more to the point.
Not enough!!! They have not done enough!!! Department of Transportation is only a part of the puzzle when traveling. Department of Homeland Security is the one to get first and move on to the rest of the federal agencies. Hopefully, CDC will be a department that will some day be done away with. It serves no legitimate purpose but takes a hunk in the budget. CDC should be gone!
Federal mask and vaccine mandates are unconstitutional according to the US Supreme Court.
Only ones that benefited from the mask mandate where the thieves.
Gov Newsom of the Peoples’ Democratic Republik of Kalifornia (PDRK) bought $1 Billion dollars worth of masks from Red China. Now…. who is the real “Big Guy”?
It’s just amazing what people will do on the advice of others. Free thinking seems to have been lost. Herds of animals have often been lost while following their leaders over cliffs. This is as much of an admission of a bad idea as we can expect.
Don’t comply it is against the constitution.
Excellent.
.
Thank you, Senators Murkowski and Sullivan.
I am amazed. They actually did something positive and life affirming, as well as protecting civil liberties.
(I hope this is not a sign of impending apocalypse 😉
I share your amazement, Micah, as well as your suspicion of what their ulterior motives in backing this legislation might really be.
Lisa Murkowski is only worried about her fisherpersons? How about everybody else in Alaska that uses airlines to fly out of state? Does Murkowski have any brains at all, or does she just appeal to her donors?
No brains, for sure. But plenty of Left-wing donors.
Very surprised that Senator Murkowski decided to do something that might upset the fashionable and politically correct. Not to worry, she will have many more opportunities to make those folks happy at the expense of Alaskans. We are, of course, ill-educated, unintelligent, unwashed and misinformed compared to the Georgetown University crowd.
A question for Alaskans: When is the last time that you ever actually used a project funded by Senator Murkowski’s pork? (Answer – this stuff always seems to be for “other people”.)
Way after the fact….yeah, maybe they won’t be able to do it again, but where were they when this crap was being enforced?
How about going after the VAXXX mandates? A piece of cloth is definitely BS but let’s be honest, this shot is killing people and no one wants to take that one on. Read the Pfizer records that they were trying to suppress for 75 YEARS and ask yourself why they are still pushing it. While you’re at it, ask why no one is talking about the source of COVID….weird how all that is just forgotten.
I’ve had 5 shots. It killed me 4 out of the 5 times.
I am Greg’s remaining dying neurons, and I agree with this statement.
I think next year, I will go for #6 to increase my chances of survival.
Well Sen Murkowski did make this true statement. What was her motive for promoting the deadly shots with Dr Zink? Ignorance!
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