The Biden Administration will sue to reinstate mask mandates on planes.

 

People wearing masks on a flight. New York Post. 

The CDC has instructed the Justice Department to prepare to appeal a federal judges ruling ending the mask mandate on federal transportations. New York Post. The ruling ended mandatory masking on US flights. There was uncertainty with what the federal government was going to do but today they announced that they will appeal the decision. The CDC claims that masks help against the Coronavirus and the mandate is necessary for public health. This is despite the fact that almost all other mandates on the federal, local and international level have been removed as the virus fades in relevance and danger. 

My Comment:

Well, I was planning a possible vacation soon, but those plans are all on hold now. There is zero chance of me getting on a plane if these restrictions are in effect. I don't believe that masks help all that much but more importantly I don't believe that the federal government should have the authority to make us wear them. 

I think the CDC's arguments here are baffling. The current strains of the Coronavirus are not a threat to the vast majority of people. The vast majority of people have been exposed to the virus and have natural antibodies and though the efficacy of the vaccines are debatable, most people have taken it. Most cases of the Coronavirus now are either minor or totally asymptomatic.

In short, there is no reason to do this, so I think it's more about power. Biden and the CDC do not like the fact that a federal judge overturned them. They want to be able to impose their will on others and won't let a single judge do a thing to stop them. 

What is shocking about this is that it was a free off ramp for the Democrats. Mandatory masking was and is a losing issue for them. Nobody cares about the Coronavirus, outside of China, anymore. Sure, there is a small minority of people that will be wearing masks the rest of their lives, but those folks are an extremely loud but extremely minor group that isn't actually important. And they would vote for Democrats regardless, so there is no downside in just letting this ruling stand. 

But they are not and I think it will cost them. People were ecstatic when the ruling was lifted and I don't think they can put the genie back in the bottle. Getting rid of the mask mandate was one of the rare good news events we have had since Biden took the White House and to take it away again is just cruel. People aren't going to see this as a necessary medical intervention, they will see it as a petty act from a tyrant and they will want to see the people responsible for it kicked out of office. 

Of course the issue will be moot if they lose this case as well. Will that happen? I have no idea. In a perfect world the Justice Department would laugh this out of court but I have very little faith left in the courts to do the right thing instead of what they think the federal government wants. It's very possible that the ruling will remain in place but I don't think you can put money on it either way.