Psaki says COVID masks should be personal choice as long as mandates are not enforced
The DOJ said it would appeal a federal judge’s ruling if the CDC deemed it necessary
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West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey discusses a federal judge striking down the public transportation mask mandate.
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said Wednesday that President Biden believes wearing masks on public transportation should be a personal choice as long as people are not legally bound by a mandate.
The comments came after the Department of Justice said it would appeal a federal judge’s ruling that eliminated COVID-19 mask mandates for public transportation if the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) deemed it necessary.
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki holds the daily press briefing at the White House in Washington, U.S. April 20, 2022. (REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst / Reuters Photos)
U.S. District Judge Kathryn Kimball Mizelle in Tampa ruled Monday that the CDC had overstepped its authority in issuing the original health order that the Transportation Security Administration used to impose the mask mandate.
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Asked Tuesday if people should continue to wear masks on airplanes, President Biden said "that’s up to them." Those comments came after the White House tried to extend the federal mask mandate on public transportation.
A reporter on Wednesday asked Psaki if Biden’s comments was meant to signal a shift in taking the administration away from mandates and toward more personal responsibility.
FILE: Travelers line up wearing protective masks indoors at O'Hare International Airport in Chicago, Dec. 28, 2021. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh, File / AP Newsroom)
Psaki said Biden was answering the question "quite literally" and appeared to suggest that the matter of personal choice was only relevant when the administration had no court backing to enforce a mask mandate.
"Right now, as you know, we are not implementing the mask mandate because of the court order – which we disagree with. While (President Biden) is still abiding by CDC guidance and we recommend Americans do that across the country. (The CDC) is still recommending people still wear masks ," Psaki said, noting that the president and his staff still wears masks when they travel on Air Force One.
She added that people are not "legally bound" to wear masks, "so it is a point in time it is up to people … in that regard."
Travelers line up at O'Hare International Airport in Chicago, Thursday, Dec. 30, 2021. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh / AP Newsroom)
Later in the press conference, another reporter asked Psaki if the White House was involved in the DOJ’s decision-making process to appeal the judge’s ruling if the CDC deemed it necessary.
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Psaki said while the White House was "legally" able to be part of the discussion but at this time, it is deferring to the CDC for their guidance.