We all remember the COVID lockdowns, forced masking, and vaccine mandates. Those who even dared to question compliance were treated like outsiders and denied employment and fundamental freedoms of speech and assembly. After two long years, Americans were at their wit’s end, and most finally dropped the masks. Now that COVID-19 cases seem to be increasing again, there are those bringing back mask mandates. Public health “experts” and university officials are calling for the reimposition of mask mandates at schools, businesses, and public spaces. The Hill recently reported that some businesses and universities have reimposed mask mandates.
Thank goodness one particular Senator is making sure that doesn’t happen.
On Tuesday, the Senate’s first day back after August recess, Senator J.D. Vance (R-OH) introduced The Freedom to Breathe Act. This bill ensures that no public transportation system or education institution can impose a mask mandate on individuals. It would also restrict federal funds from establishing mask requirements. Sen. Vance said:
We tried mask mandates once in this country. They failed to control the spread of respiratory viruses, violated basic bodily freedom, and set our fellow citizens against one another. This legislation will ensure that no federal bureaucracy, no commercial airline, and no public school can impose the misguided policies of the past. Democrats say they’re not going to bring back mask mandates – we’re going to hold them to their word.
In an interview on CNN on Saturday, September 2nd, Dr. Anthony Fauci said that at the moment “we’re not talking about forcing anybody to do anything” and the “CDC doesn’t mandate anything,” only recommends! But we all remember Dr. Fauci’s calls to “follow the science” on masking even though he had no scientific basis, and his recommendations were laughable. After his nonsense of telling us to wear multiple masks even in our own homes, medical experts around the nation voiced their disagreements. In December 2021, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) admitted that surgical masks provide no protection against respiratory diseases. Cloth masks provided even less protection with some doctors, like former Planned Parenthood President Leana Wen, calling them merely “facial decorations.” A new scientific review published by the Cochrane Library suggests that widespread masking may have done little to nothing to curb the transmission of COVID-19.
But in 2021, the Biden administration began issuing sweeping rules that forced individuals across the nation to wear masks. All public transportation, businesses with over one hundred employees, military personnel, and others fell under the heavy hand of the federal government. Fortunately, the Supreme Court struck down mask mandates on airlines and for larger businesses. The Court was explicit in stating that decision-making authority rests on the American people either through the way they conduct their business or through their elected officials, not the bureaucracy.
Despite the science that proves masks are largely ineffective for COVID-19 and Dr. Fauci’s latest assurance, the left continues to push mandatory masking. Recently, Morris Brown College in Georgia and Upstate Medical University in New York decided to kick off the new school year with an authoritarian vibe. They immediately implemented mask mandates for all staff and students. In California, movie studio Lionsgate and Kaiser Permanente health system are also making their employees mask up. Many of these institutions receive federal funding or government incentives. Sen. Vance’s legislation would stop taxpayer money from funding these unscientific mandates.
Senator Vance is going to make all Senators take a stand on this issue. According to his office, this week Senator Vance will force Senate floor consideration of his Freedom to Breathe Act. His office said:
Any floor objection to Senator Vance’s unanimous consent request would amount to a clear admission that Democrats intend to reimpose mask mandates in the near term. This narrowly tailored legislation sunsets in 2024 and does not apply to hospitals or nursing homes.
Senator Vance concluded:
Multiple entities within our government, within the public health bureaucracy, there are local schools in the D.C. area now reimposing mask mandates, this is coming back unless we stop it from happening. That’s why I introduced this legislation, and I’m going to force the Democrats to vote on it. If they say the mask mandates are not coming back, then come to the Senate floor, vote with us, and say ‘no more mask mandates.’ Let’s make it bipartisan.
It’s not too late to register for Eagle Council 51 where we will hear from several speakers on preserving health freedom! The special hotel rate has been extended until September 13th!
