White House opposes requirement for passengers to wear masks on planes, trains

[CousinIT]

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-airlines/white-house-opposes-requirement-for-passengers-to-wear-masks-on-planes-trains-idUSKCN24V3NC

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The White House on Thursday said it opposed language in a bill before Congress that would require airline, train and public transit passengers and workers to wear masks amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The White House Office of Management and Budget called the provision in a U.S. House of Representatives spending bill requiring the masks “overly restrictive.” It added that “such decisions should be left to states, local governments, transportation systems, and public health leaders.”

Airlines, Amtrak and most public transit systems and U.S. airports require all passengers and workers to wear facial coverings.

Representative David Price, a Democrat who chairs the appropriations panel overseeing transportation issues, proposed an amendment this month to require the masks.

“President Trump’s flagrant disregard for basic public health measures is bad enough, but threatening to derail federal funding for major transportation and housing programs due to a common-sense provision to require masks on planes, trains, and buses is baffling,” Price said Thursday.

The House is set to vote on the bill Friday.

[Freethinker65]

1. Trying to kill the travel and tourist industry along with killing Americans. A twofer

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

2. Why shouldn't an airline, which is a private business, require passengers

to wear masks while on their airplanes, just like a grocery store can legally refuse to do business with a customer who won't wear a mask?

[ProfessorGAC]

6. They Can & Do

Dems were trying to codify it so that those same businesses could fall back on "it's the law".
I support that notion, because if the demand it, and some customer gets ornery, their hands are tied, in a good way.
No mask, no plane. Take it off during the flight, good luck getting home. " You're banned because you broke the law."
The Rs are just being difficult & silly with their stupid overreach nonsense. Sending unidentified troops into a city that didn't want the! Isn't overreach, but this is.
Silly.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

7. I know that Delta is doing it, and that if you claim to have

a health condition that prevents you from wearing a mask they put you through a lengthy evaluation to prove it. And if you take your mask off in flight and refuse to put it back on you'll be banned from future Delta flights. That might be enough incentive right there, but I agree that the requirement would have more teeth if it was required by law, like having to turn off electronic devices and wearing your seat belt during takeoff and landing. If all the airlines had and enforced their own mask rules, at least the maskholes wouldn't be able to fly anywhere.

[ProfessorGAC]

12. Read Same About Southwest & United

Except for the "prove it" part.
They may be doing it too, but I don't recall reading that.
Stopping maskholes (good one!) was what the law in the proposal would do.
Nobody could skirt it because all commercial carriers would have to do it.
That's why I like the idea.
I suspect you do, too.

[pandr32]

3. Yes, people stuck in a tight space with others for hours

...should be free to breathe covid-19 all over the place.

[magicarpet]

4. Freedumb to transmit and spread the Corona virus to....

.... the general population should not be infringed on....

[brush]

5. How stupid can an administration get? Opposed to wearing masks after 150k have died?

These people need to be drummed out of office in disgrace. It's almost as if they want people to die.

[spanone]

11. not stupid....EVIL.

[SWBTATTReg]

8. Well, I guess none of the mask deniers will be traveling anywhere soon, eh? If I were an airline ..

or mass transit entity, this would be a definite requirement, especially in close quarters w/ others.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

14. For most of the major airlines it already is.

[superpatriotman]

9. Stupidity knows no bounds

Bars get lower daily

[spanone]

10. the white house is entirely full of insane maniacs...so trump doesn't want them to be patriots?

he's so full of shit....evil fucks

[peacebuzzard]

13. Of course they would

follows their hurry up and die philosophy perfectly.
I doubt if the commuting reps and senators will oppose this bill in traditional unison.
Well, maybe Ted Cruz will oppose this since he is special.
This will overwhelmingly pass in the House.

Thanks for the heads up on this, CousinIT.