Ted Cruz, Susan Collins, and other senators file bill to end mask mandates on airlines

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U.S. Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Susan Collins (R-Maine), Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.), and Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) introduced a Senate resolution this week calling on the Biden Administration’s Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to end its mask mandate for fully vaccinated individuals on public transportation throughout the United States-including at airports, on commercial airplanes, on buses, and rail systems.

“Over 150 million people in the United States are fully vaccinated and mask mandates have been lifted across the country. 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should be able to travel to celebrate Independence Day with their friends and loved ones without having to follow an outdated and unnecessary mandate,” Cruz said.

“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,” Collins said.

Transportation Safety Administration mask mandates have led to numerous incidents on flights, where cabin crews have had to deal with passengers who won’t comply. Flight attendants have even experienced violence, and now the TSA is starting a its self-defense training course for flight crews. 

Sen. Collins said that she had recently spoken with two flight attendants about the mask mandate for air travel and said one of them was frightened about what would happen if she tries to enforce the mandate.

Sen. Moran said: “Vaccination rates in the U.S. have helped end this pandemic and return our lives to normal. Requiring vaccinated passengers on trains and airplanes to continue wearing masks doesn’t follow the science, and the CDC and TSA should update their guidance to reflect their own findings and help us safely return travel to normal.”

Last Monday, a frequent flier filed a lawsuit against seven airlines: Southwest, Alaska, Allegiant, Delta, Frontier, JetBlue, and Spirit. Lucas Wall accused the airlines of discriminating against travelers who can’t wear masks because of medical conditions, including his own anxiety disorder. Wall was prevented from boarding a Southwest Airlines flight leaving Orlando. Wall is also suing President Joe Biden, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, TSA, and the Department of Homeland Security.

Sen. Blackburn said that President Joe Biden has lectured people to “follow the science.” She said, “It’s clear that this rhetoric was just another way for the radical left and big government to control Americans. Experts have been clear for months – if you are vaccinated you do not need to wear a mask. It’s time we end these absurd political charades and start following the science.”

Sen. Lummis said that Americans are going back to normal. “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.”

Read the full text of the resolution here.

Read Unfriendly skies: Airlines’ poor hospitality is reaching the breaking point

21 COMMENTS

  1. Wouldn’t you expect the Senators that has to fly nearly 3,400 air miles between BWI & ANC would sign on to this resolution? Well, I wouldn’t expect Leesaa to take a Swipe at the Biden administration, but Dan is appearing swampier every day.

  2. If this nation followed the science, the lockdowns and mask mandates would never have happened. Instead, we choose to panic, and allow the media (both news and social) to dominate our lives.
    .
    Besides, anyone who says they are “following the science” really does not understand what science really is.

  3. I flew to Seattle then Phoenix earlier this month and the mask rule is ridiculous. They’re cramming everyone 3 to an aisle (737) and the planes are full. Once the flight attendant passes everyone pulls their mask down, slip it back up when they come by again. I was one of the last to deboard and the clean up crews only pick up litter, no disinfectants or wiping of seats. Most people wear a single layer cloth mask which does absolutely nothing. Time to end this nonsense.

  4. If a person believes in the efficacy of the vaccines, there is no public health reason to require masks for vaccinated individuals. Senator Rand Paul was exactly correct: Masks are theater. Let’s stop the foolish virtue-signaling. And another point: Dr. Fauci is no longer credible.

  5. All of this oxygen deprivation has left the Libs and wacko Lefties gone mad. More than anyone, they need to pull their masks……… off.

  6. I’m a heavy reader of such conservative sites as National Review Online and PowerLine and I first hear about this on a site focused on Alaska. Alaskans depend on air travel to leave and enter the state, especially with the restrictions on travel through Canada. So we would be particularly interested.

    Still, I notice that this effort includes Susan Collins. So why isn’t Collins’s acolyte, Lisa Murkowski involved? More relevant, why isn’t Dan Sullivan a part of this effort?

    This seems to be a Republican led effort so far. It won’t be effective until Democrats start feeling the heat.

  7. The dinky cotton masks don’t provide any protection for the unvaccinated either. It is, and always was, theater.

  8. Mask of the Beast leads to Injection of the Beast which will lead to the Mark of the Beast. When will you say NO?

  9. What am I reading?
    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,” Cruz said.

    For starters it’s a mandate not a LAW
    What about non vaxed people like myself and half of American. So we still need to wear a mask, are you kidding me. I have not been wearing a mask this whole time. Madness

    So you Sheep that got the vaccine shot, what you don’t trust your own shot. You want me, and everyone else, to wear a mask around you.
    How STUPID, you drank the kool-Aid, and your still AFRAID.
    Get a life people. RESPECT did I read that too. Yes start respecting others, choices.

  10. BLM is the driving force behind Defund the Police. Alaska Airlines thinks so much of BLM that you can buy Alaska Airlines/BLM co-branded clothes on the Alaska Airlines website. Maybe they should sell Defund the Police masks or better yet Defund TSA masks. Be a big hit with the irony crowd.

  11. Democrats are following the science. They are following their own scientists and their own science on covid coronavirus. In their own eyes they are right. Hahaha

  12. Thank you to .Senators Cruz, Collins, Moran, Wicker, Lummis, and Blackburn!
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    Let us strongly encourage Alaska’s Senators Sullivan and Murkowski to co-sponsor the resolution.
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    Who knows… with a bit of Alaskan senatorial persuasion, Alaska Airlines management might even be persuaded to remove the Black Lives Matter apparel from its Company Store. (companystore.alaskaair.com/asqxcompanystore/apparel)
    .
    This could work, yes?

  13. Of course Lisa Murkowski is not opposing the airlines’ draconian, capricious and fascistic mask mandate! That would be going against her diehard leftist political base.

  14. Natural immunity after having Covid is still getting no recognition, and it’s the only real immunity. The “jab” doesn’t confer immunity, just a reduction in symptoms. After the “jab” they’re still able to catch Covid and pass it on to the vulnerable.
    I don’t appreciate how the “jabbers” have taken the moral high-ground, while they’re still a greater threat than the naturally immune. I suspect that it’s just a lot of whistling in the dark, and that the confidence they voice in the “jab” is only an expression of their fears.
    Near half of Americans got stampeded into taking the “jab” and are still afraid, while most of the ones who survived their bout with Covid are confident in their natural immunity.
    “None fearful (no cowards) will enter the kingdom of heaven.” These same fearful will deny Yashua when persecution comes.

  15. I’m happy and more than proud to wear my mask. It says, “This Mask is as Useless as Joe Biden”! It results in an unofficial poll.My last trip to SW US, I had 5 people want to take my picture with the Useless Joe mask. And it’s kinda like walking your dog–strangers come up to you and start a conversation.

  16. I, for one, am not impressed. The whole thing is moot when you add “for fully vaccinated individuals” . Will the TSA thugs be there checking for proof of vaccination? ” Stoppen! Wo sind ihre papiere?” Will unvaccinated people get a special armband to wear?

  17. Thank you, Sen. Cruz, for introducing the groundwork for a national vaccine passport for air travel. ??

  18. Yesterday a disabled Marine was denied a part of his monthly disability by the VA who called him and stated to him the COVID 19 Pandemic was officially over and because of it he was now getting a reduction of $400.00 a month in his disability payments!!! So now that it has been officially declared OVER ALL the governor’s and former mayors “BS” is officially over !!!!

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