Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) says that he plans to introduce legislation to nix the public transportation mask mandate that requires most passengers to wear face coverings when traveling on planes.
The story: Paul announced the bill on Twitter on Thursday. The Kentucky Republicans wrote that he intends to introduce a bill that would tackle the federal mask mandate for travelers on airplanes. He called it “a farce.”
“When the Senate returns to session, I will be introducing an immediate repeal of the mask mandate on planes. Enough! Time to stop this farce and let people travel in peace!” Paul tweeted.
The rules: The Transport Security Administration (TSA) currently mandates that all travelers on airplanes wear masks at all times, except when eating or drinking. There are exceptions for children under the age of two and people who have a medical condition that prevents them from wearing a face covering.
The current TSA mandate is set to remain in place until Sep. 13. It’s part of President Joe Biden’s executive order, which was signed on his first day in office, that requires face coverings on all public transportation, including airports and airplanes.
Worth noting: Paul has been a vocal critic of many of the pandemic-related restrictions introduced aimed at preventing the coronavirus from spreading. He has argued that people who have been fully vaccinated or those who have already contracted and recovered the virus should not be asked to wear masks.
The Center for Disease and Control says that fully vaccinated people do not have to wear face coverings in most situations.
Paul announced in May this year that he won’t be getting the COVID-19 vaccine because he recovered from the virus back in March 2020. Officials continue to maintain that everyone should get vaccinated, regardless of their history with the virus.
He also recently condemned the White House for its door-to-door vaccination strategy that’s meant to encourage people to receive a COVID-19 jab.
“The gov’t doesn’t decide who gets vaccinated. You do,” Paul tweeted.
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