The CDC Decides The Science (TM) Says There's an Emergency In the Skies Requiring Continued Mandatory Masking (But No Emergency on the Ground Necessitating Speedy Deportation of Illegal Aliens, Strangely Enough)

No one in the Weekend At Biden's Administration wants to take the blame for foisting this unpopular policy on the American public, so everyone passed the buck.

When they passed it to the CDC, the CDC was caught flat-footed and had to look at The Science (TM).

One suspects they were not analyzing the "science," but once again, consulting with "stakeholders" and politicians about the politics of it: Can we afford to piss off the Krazy Kovid Karens, the only cohort in America that still supports Biden by majority numbers?

Well, now they've gotten a chance to do their homework and they say yes, we're still in an emergency, but only as far as Americans infecting Americans, and Americans will have to wears masks on planes, but I guess we can still suspend Title 42 as far as illegal aliens sneaking across the border.

The Centers for Disease Control officially asked the Department of Justice to appeal a ruling by a federal judge in Florida earlier this week that struck down the Biden administration's mask mandate for travel.

"To protect CDC's public health authority beyond the ongoing assessment announced last week, CDC has asked DOJ to proceed with an appeal in Health Freedom Defense Fund, Inc., et al., v. Biden, et al. It is CDC's continuing assessment that at this time an order requiring masking in the indoor transportation corridor remains necessary for the public health. CDC will continue to monitor public health conditions to determine whether such an order remains necessary. CDC believes this is a lawful order, well within CDC's legal authority to protect public health," CDC released in a statement Wednesday evening.

"CDC continues to recommend that people wear masks in all indoor public transportation settings. CDC's number one priority is protecting the public health of our nation. As we have said before, wearing masks is most beneficial in crowded or poorly ventilated locations, such as the transportation corridor," the statement continues.

Because of filtration systems onboard, airplanes have been shown to be one of the safest places from Wuhan coronavirus because they are extremely well ventilated.

Here's the trouble with this decision:

Just a couple of weeks ago, when Biden was thinking about merely asking for an extension of the still-in-place airline mask mandate, people like Kirsten Sinema and a lot of of Republicans asked Problematic Questions like, "If Covid is still an emergency in the American Skies, why is it not an emergency on the Mexican Border?"

Jacqui Heinrich
@JacquiHeinrich
SINEMA says extension of mask mandate on planes/public transit means Title 42 should remain:

"The Administration's extension of public health emergency authorities proves the need to delay lifting Title 42 to protect the health and safety of Arizona communities and migrants"

ChuckGrassley
@ChuckGrassley

Biden Admin extends airplane mask mandate due to concerns about Covid. But it's terminating Title 42 at the S border bc threat of Covid supposedly doesn't justify it anymore. Completely hypocritical If Americans are still bound by Covid policies shouldn't our border be too???

Jim Risch
@SenatorRisch

The Biden Administration announced it will repeal Title 42 at the southern border (because COVID-19 is over) while extending the transportation mask mandate for Americans (because COVID-19 isn't over).

Senator John Thune
@SenJohnThune

This is absurd and incredibly out of touch. The Biden admin is extending the mask mandate for Americans on planes, but it's planning to end Title 42 pandemic restrictions at the border. You can't have it both ways, @POTUS

He's not the real POTUS but point taken.

This question becomes much more acute now that the Weekend at Biden's Administration isn't just seeking a two week extension in the policy, but taking the dramatic move of going to court to re-assert its dubious authority to impose it.

As Ed "No Link" Morrissey wrote a week or so ago, when it was just an extension in play:

The move by the CDC to extend the mask mandates on airplanes while simultaneously providing Biden cover for opening the border will likely be the last straw. There is simply no way to defend both recommendations at the same time. American levels of vaccination in the population (as well as immunity by exposure) outstrip the Central American countries that comprise most of the border surge. If the pandemic is still acute enough to warrant imposing masks on all travelers inside the US, why would we risk allowing travelers outside the US with unknown vaccination and exposure statuses to enter without restriction? On what "science" would that be based -- other than "political" science, the kind most often practiced at the CDC?

It wouldn't be a story without Grandpa Felonyfingers becoming cringily confused about the issue. Asked about suspending the repeal of Title 42's provision about deporting illegal aliens, Biden gets confused and starts talking about the mask mandate -- authority for which is claimed to be granted by a different part of Title 42 -- and says he's waiting for "strong science" to tell him whether or not to appeal.

But he was asked if he was going to delay the repeal of Title 42, not whether he was going to appeal the mask mandate.

If nothing else, that really demonstrates that these two issues are inexplicably linked, and that you can't claim there's an emergency for one part of Title 42 but no emergency for another part of Title 42.

I wonder if the Weekend at Biden's Administration will seek to not really appeal the decision by not seeking a stay of the judge's decision while it appeals. That is, usually, they would seek a stay of the ruling during the appeal, meaning, the judge's ruling would be held in abeyance and the mask mandate would be back in effect while the appeal process goes forward.

But maybe they won't file to stay the ruling -- maybe they'll leave the ruling in place, and the mask mandate therefore ruled illegal, while they appeal, so that it will only be back in effect if and when they win their appeal.

I bet they might just do that!

Meanwhile, in the only place in America at which free speech still exists -- city council open hearings-- Prime Time #99 Alex Stein shares his thoughts on airline masking.

He's outraged he won't be forced to wear a mask any longer. And he's specifically mad at Dallas' mayor, who refused to wear a mask in an airport.

For those who aren't acquainted with Alex Stein #99 Prime Time yet, he's spoofing the left. He's a guest of Tucker Carlson now.

Not really related, but another guy addressed the Frisco, Texas city council meeting.

Pretty sure this is a prank.

Pretty sure.

You know, it's harder and harder to tell anymore.

I think the part where he claims that schools should pass out molotov cocktails to throw at cop cars in honor of George Floyd puts this in the "prank" category.

But you never know.

posted by Ace at 04:15 PM

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