Senator Ted Cruz Calls for CDC Mask Mandate to be Dropped on Airplanes and Public Transportation

Right now, in Texas and many other states, the mask mandates related to COVID-19 are all but gone.

However, the mandates are still in place at airports, on airplanes, at bus stations, and on other forms of public transportation in the U.S.

In West Texas, that means the CDC mask mandate remains in effect at places like: Lubbock Preston Smith International Airport, Rick Husband Airport in Amarillo, and Citibus in Lubbock and on the Texas Tech campus.

Earlier this week, Senator Ted Cruz (R- Texas) and five of his fellow Republican senators co-sponsored a resolution calling for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to end the mask mandate on public transportation, for fully vaccinated individuals.

Right now, the CDC mask mandate is in effect for all adult passengers on buses, trains, subways, airplanes, airports, bus stations, plus train stations and subway stations.

Senator Cruz said, “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should be able to travel to celebrate Independence Day with their friends and loved ones without having to follow an outdated and unnecessary mandate.”

Senator Susan Collins (R- ME) is one of the co-sponsors for the resolution, "I recently spoke with two flight attendants about the mask mandate for air travel. Given the horrendous and unthinkable violence that has occurred on flights, one of them was frightened by what would happen if she tried to enforce the mandate. 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.”

Also co-sponsoring the resolution, Senators Jerry Moran (R-KS), Roger Wicker (R-MS), Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), and Marsha Blackburn (R-TN).

A lifting of the CDC mask mandate has not been recently discussed by Democratic Party leadership.