Bilirakis and Other Lawmakers Condemn Extension of Mask Mandate on Public Transport, Point to Hypocrisy and Call for a Return to Normal Operations

Washington, DC: Representative Gus Bilirakis and approximately 100 of his colleagues sent a stern letter to President Biden condemning his Administration's recent decision to extend the national mask mandate on public transportation for another thirty days. Bilirakis, who has been vocally opposed to the growing overreach of the federal government, has urged the President to follow the science and stop issuing contradictory public health guidance. Bilirakis wants to ensure Americans' freedoms are not casually disregarded to accommodate a political agenda.

"We urge you to reverse this ill-advised, arbitrary decision. It is far past time that we relieve both the traveling public and frontline transportation workforce of this unnecessary burden and get our Nation's transportation system back to normal," wrote the group of lawmakers. "Like most Americans, we are bewildered by this decision. To add to the absurdity, this extension was issued the same day the CDC announced that more than 98% of the U.S. population is in a location with low or medium COVID-19 Community Level and therefore not advised to use indoor masking as a preventative measure. As you mentioned in your State of the Union Address (an event with no mask mandate) the federal government must use all tools at its disposal to facilitate rather than hamper the complete reopening of our Nation's economy."