Buttigieg: Travel Mask Mandate Appeal Is Mainly About ‘Clarity’ on CDC Powers

On Wednesday’s broadcast of the Fox News Channel’s “Special Report,” Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg stated that “most of us understand the difference between a hotel ballroom” where the White House Correspondents’ Dinner will be held without a mask mandate and airplanes and that the main purpose behind the Biden administration’s appeal of the transportation mask mandate ruling is “making sure there’s clarity on the public health authority that the CDC has.”

Buttigieg said, “Well, the main consideration there isn’t the politics of it. It’s making sure there’s clarity on the public health authority that the CDC has. In other words, that would be important to pursue even if they’re not going to use it, right? Even if they determine…talking about planes, trains, buses that the mandate’s no longer needed, and as you recall, it was actually set to expire within a few days of right now anyway.”

Host Bret Baier then said, “If you’re sitting at home, you just told me you’re going to the White House Correspondents’ Dinner. The president’s going to the White House Correspondents’ Dinner. You’re not mandated to wear a mask there. But the administration, at the same time, is fighting a lawsuit to mandate people on planes, trains…and buses to wear masks. So, like, if you’re sitting at home, there’s a disconnect here.” – READ MORE