In the matter of 2 days, Joe Biden went from saying people should decide for themselves whether to mask on airplanes, to saying he gets to make that decision himself. This is all about control.
NBC News reports, The Justice Department said Wednesday it will appeal a court ruling by a Florida judge that struck down the federal government’s order to wear masks while traveling, after the administration’s top public health officials insisted the mandate was still necessary “at this time.”
The move is unlikely to force masks back on travelers just yet. The legal fight could take weeks or even months to resolve, and the federal government has said it’s not currently enforcing the mandate, which was set to expire on May 3.
But the Biden administration’s announcement makes clear that it wants to fight the ruling to retain the power to mandate masks aboard planes, inside airports and other transportation hubs to prevent the spread of disease.
“It is CDC’s continuing assessment that at this time an order requiring masking in the indoor transportation corridor remains necessary for the public health… CDC believes this is a lawful order, well within CDC’s legal authority to protect public health,” the CDC wrote in a statement.
This comes after the president, speaking to reporters Tuesday afternoon, said masking is “up to” the people.
However, White House press secretary Jen Psaki on Wednesday sought to clarify President Joe Biden’s comment on whether Americans should wear masks on planes.
Joe Biden must like to be hated. It’s what he does best, afterall. He can try to blame this move on the CDC, but CDC is just an extension of him. What do you think is going to happen next? How soon will we have to wear masks on airplanes again?
