Apparently unwilling to follow the science, Democrats in the Senate blocked the passage of a bill introduced by Senator Rick Scott (R-FL) that would have removed the federal mask mandate for travelers on mass transit in the United States.
Even though the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention updated their guidance on masking for vaccinated Americans last month, travelers on public transit and in transit hubs are still required to wear face coverings. Senator Scott, along with Representative Dan Crenshaw (R-TX) in the House of Representatives took action to bring federal guidance in line with science by prohibiting the government from requiring masks to travel.
The Stop Mandating Additional Requirements for Travel (SMART) Act would take effect, rather fittingly, on Independence Day.
Do you think we need to mandate masks on airplanes and other forms of public transportation anymore?
— Rep. Dan Crenshaw (@RepDanCrenshaw) June 23, 2021
No? Neither do I.
So I introduced legislation with @SenRickScott ending the mandate.
The best part? The bill takes effect on July 4 ????https://t.co/7bYieiu3hG
"We've known for months that federal mandates requiring masks on airplanes and other means of transportation were unscientific," noted Rep. Crenshaw. "The doomsday predictions of lifting mask mandates in restaurants and other businesses never materialized, and it's time we actually 'follow the science' for public transportation as well. Resuming full, unimpeded travel is crucial to getting our economy back on track and we should remove any misguided obstacles to making that happen."
Today, I was joined by @SenMikeLee to ask for passage of my SMART Act prohibiting the government from forcing Americans to wear masks on public transportation. Democrats blocked it. When will they actually listen to the science? ???? pic.twitter.com/2EF8eahwLJ
— Rick Scott (@SenRickScott) June 23, 2021
"Americans are working hard to recover from the devastation of COVID-19 and travel is critical to getting our economy fully re-opened," stated Senator Scott. He noted that "since the start of the pandemic, I have supported wearing a mask to protect yourself and others" but "the science has shown we can change course, and mask mandates are being lifted across the country." "We have to listen to the science and work together to move America forward," Scott added.
