(Bloomberg) Nearly two dozen states in the United States filed a lawsuit to overturn the federal mandate to wear a mask on public transportation, accusing the Biden Administration of ignoring its failures in court and of having “absolute disdain” for the limits of its power amid the covid-19 pandemic 19.
The lawsuit, filed Tuesday in federal court in Tampa, Florida, argued that the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Rochelle Walensky, and the Secretary of Health and Human Services, Xavier Becerra, lack the authority to force airplane passengers, trains and boats to wear masks.
“Even states like California have announced the end of their masking mandates,” states, mostly led by Republicans, including Florida, Alabama and Louisiana, said in the complaint. “Even so, CDC shamelessly leaves its mandate intact.” They said that the Administration has shown “a remarkable level of intransigence.”
CDC declined to comment on the lawsuit. The rule had expired on March 18 before the Administration extended it until April 18.
The extension comes as US states ease restrictions following a drastic drop in the number of cases since a January peak caused by the omicron variant of the coronavirus. Nearly 1 million Americans have died of covid in the past two years, and hundreds more continue to die every day.
The case is Florida vs. Walensky, 22-cv-00718, U.S. District Court, Middle District of Florida (Tampa).
Original Note:
Mask Mandate on Plans, Trains Draws Lawsuit From GOP States (2)
More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com
©2022 Bloomberg L.P.