Just Say “NO” to Forced Masking!

September 9, 2023 | Washington, D.C.

by Eagle Forum Executive Director, Tabitha Walter

Eagle Forum Applauds Senator J.D. Vance for Protecting American’s Freedom to Breathe

Today, Senator JD Vance (R-OH) attempted to bring a bill, The Freedom to Breathe Act, to the floor for a vote.  This common sense, science-backed bill would have prevented federally funded schools and transportation systems from mandating masks be worn.  After almost two years of toddlers and travelers being forced to cover their faces and impede their breathing or face ostracization, and in light of studies showing that masking is ineffective in stopping the transmission of COVID-19, the American people are fed up.  It’s time to finally “trust the science” and reject the politics of fear.

Senator Edward Markey (D-MA) objected to a vote on the bill.  He chose to mislead people by claiming the bill would prevent anyone who wants to cover their face from doing so. He used the tired and misleading argument that masking protects against the virus.  Even Dr. Fauci said over the weekend that no one, including the CDC, has plans to force Americans to re-mask.  But the words and actions of Sen. Markey demonstrated that is not true.

We applaud the efforts of Senators Vance, Budd (R-NC), Braun (R-IN), Hawley (R-MO), Schmitt (R-MO), Barasso (R-WY), and Britt (R-AL) to bring the bill to a vote and stop the unscientific tyranny of mandated masking.  We urge all Members of Congress to stand up for science and pass the Freedom to Breathe Act.

Background

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. Now, public health “experts” and university officials are calling for the return of mask mandates at schools, businesses, and public spaces. The Hill recently reported that some businesses and universities have reimposed mask mandates.

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 2, 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 businesses 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. Senator Vance’s legislation would stop taxpayer money from funding these unscientific mandates.

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…”