A majority of the Democratic-controlled U.S. Senate has voted to scrap the transportation mask mandate, a largely symbolic move that further suggests the days of masks on airplanes are winding down.
Majority In U.S. Senate Vote To Eliminate Mask Mandate
By a 57-40 vote, the Senate passed a resolution to end obligatory masks on planes, trains, buses, and other modes of public transportation. Rand Paul (KY) has been a vocal opponent of masks and sponsored the measure. All Republican Senators except for Mitt Romney (UT) voted to scrap the mandate while eight Democrats also voted to immediately end the mandate:
- Michael Bennet (CO)
- Kyrsten Sinema (AZ)
- Jon Tester (MT)
- Mark Kelly (AZ)
- Joe Manchin (WV)
- Catherine Cortez Masto (NV)
- Jacky Rosen (NV)
- Maggie Hassan (NH)
All eight Democrats are from “purple” states and four are standing for re-election this November. The vote is largely symbolic, as the House of Representatives is unlikely to take up the matter to ensure that the Biden Administration is not embarrassed (should it pass the House, Biden has indicated he will veto the measure).
Just last week, the Biden Administration extended the mask mandate by one month; it is now set to expire on April 18th. While this move is unlikely to impact that date, it does make a further extension unlikely. Mask mandates have expired across the country, even in blue states like California, leaving a disconnect between airports, airplanes, and everywhere else in the USA.
Once the mandate is lifted, it will be still be up to airlines whether to mandate masks onboard. After all, all U.S. airlines introduced mandatory making rules before the federal rule took effect. However, at this point I view the possibility of airlines voluntarily extending the mask mandate on their own flights as increasingly unlikely. First, because masks are deeply unpopular amongst a plurality of the population. Second, because there are arguable casual links between mask mandates and an uptick in in-flight poor behavior. Third, because passengers are still welcome to wear protective masks, if they so choose.
CONCLUSION
I’m happy to see this bipartisan Senate vote and am ready to take the mask off when I fly. After being vaccinated, boosted, and open to an annual or bi-annual boost, it is time to live our lives without masks, weighing our own risks concerning the COVID-19 endemic when we fly.
image: Edward M. Kennedy Institute
It matters because it will put pressure on B_____n if he has any hope to keep any power after November or if he wants to spend the last 2 years of his presidency playing bingo. Even Democrats are tired of the theater, we all know that unless you have a very well fitted N95 mask everything else people wear on their faces in just a face ornament and does absolutely nothing against any virus. UK has dropped masks on all their modes of transportation, US politicians including the president no longer wear masks for anything so keeping it for airplanes and even more mind-blowing inside airports makes absolutely no sense. The other absurdity is places requiring people to show vaccine cards to enter in restaurants and other venues. We all know vaccinated people transmit Covid as much as any other unvaccinated one. It makes zero scientific sense but brainwashed people think they are correct. I am happy to show my vaccination card but I feel bad for people requesting it.
The only thing I can do is to express my wishes to end travel masking by sending naysayers an email. Again a few dems voted it down. I wrote to Mit Romey but don’t know who the other naysayers are. Do you know who to write in the airline industry to express my opinion?
So Biden isn’t embarrassed?? LOL. LGB does this to himself every time he speaks. Not his fault really. He’s just old. The fact he’s even POTUS is the truly embarrassing part.
End the mask charade immediately. Wanna wear one? Knock yourself out. Leave the rest of us out of it.
Forget about parties, forget if you like him or not but check the video where he called Putin a “war criminal” today. I felt bad for him. He looks 200 years old, completely out of touch, the reporter asked him the question and he kept walking to later come back and ask what the question was. He is embarrassing himself every single day and making Carter look like a successful president. He should be in a nursing home and not in charge of this country.
Your wet dream still has the Orange guy in charge huh?
You can not like Biden and not like Trump at the same time. I am in this camp myself, both a truly terrible and both are awful for their own reasons.
LOL!! Is he still haunting you? I couldn’t care less for Trump or Biden. Both suck but Biden is embarrassing himself pretty bad. Someone told him this would be an easy job. Well, he is definitely not up to the challenge. Maybe to entertain his peers in a nursing home during bingo nights.
I don’t need the House of Representatives to embarrass me. I can do that just fine on my own, thank you very much.
Just in time for the midterms.
Drop the chin diapers. End the silly testing. Dump the failed jabs. Only two types of people. Those that have had it and those that will get it. End the nonsense. End it all.
You forgot a third type: those who will keep getting it, forever, and get worse every time.
Joe Biden would veto this because it was sponsored by a Republican and Biden is a fan of masks. He’s like that one guy left till wearing one at the store. You assume he is fragile and needs to protect himself.
Well look at this . The “unacceptable opinions” on this board a year ago this board would have led to you all being called ‘maskholes’ or some such and great efforts to get you banned and cancelled. The board was so in love with their useless but politically correct virtue-signalling little pieces of cloth, which, even though virus particles float right through, you were all determined to wear anyway and argued vehemently that those tiny viruses just KNEW not to mess with our masks!
Anyone bringing up the word ‘theatre’ or ‘charade’ was of course a ‘maskhole’. And now due to your strong defense and manufactured outrage and lemming-like beliefs, it just might take a presidential election before your precious masks can come off. Congratulations!
Are you done patting yourself on the back?
The Democrats don’t want the mask mandate to ever end it, they love the power that comes with it. Go read some of the articles on The Points Guy. They are all talking about how a new variant is coming and they are all wearing their KN95 masks. They think Covid is a death sentence, they are complete idiots who just give into the Democrat agenda.
That’s why I read this blog instead of TPG, because everyone at TPG is an insane radical liberal who wears 10 masks and thinks Joe Biden is great.
TPG is the snowflake club. A bunch of millennials that don’t have anything to do and think because they fly first class on miles they know something. Feel bad for their generation. Imagine if we get into a war and they have to fight for our country. They will clean their hands with alcohol gel before grabbing a gun. We are so f…ed up.
Hahahahahaha.
TPG is a joke now though, they’re so woke.
Remember how they gave every “TPG Award” to American which was laughable and now American is suing them? Funny!
>They think Covid is a death sentence,
It is…? Do we know how many people will suffer from long COVID?
The issue I am sure many are looking at in the Biden administration is the new variant taking charge in Europe. If tends hold in our following Europe with surges this will be here in April. I want masks gone as well, but taking the approach of seeing B.2 through to see its course might be prudent.
I won’t profess to telling you if masks work on planes anymore. I want them gone as well. But I appreciate leadership that takes the high road in assuring that they have weighed every potential scenario. And giving us every tool possible to assure that maybe, just maybe, a life is saved.
Make it optional. This leadership doesn’t wear marks anymore. It is all about control….until November.
Stuart is right, we need to remain prudent because the midterm variant is coming.
Umm, this is March, lol. Anxious? 🙂
And here lies the problem. The “If we can just save one life” group is so delusional they actually think they are making a difference. Much like aiming a fan at a hurricane to alter its course, it is complete nonsense. Covid is gonna do what its gonna do so let’s all move on!
It’s hilarious how all these rednecks who cling to their guns and bibles cry so much about wearing “chin-diapers”.
The rednecks are the ones that pit food on your table. Remember that next time you say anything about them.
What was it Dave Chappelle said?
You forgot a third type: those who will keep getting it, forever, and get worse every time.
As Dave said.. “All this racism is killing me”
I was on United to/from IAD this past Monday. That airlines reminds passengers that “federal law” requires masks be worn at all times except for quick removal between “every sip” of a beverage or “every bite” of food. One beyoutch male FA seemed to be the enforcer, policing people as he handed out drinks. No food service whatsoever, not even pretzels. I heard a passenger behind me tell the cited FA “no need to worry about the food nowadays you all won’t even sell any.”