The Department of Justice (DOJ) announced on Wednesday that it is appealing the well-received judicial ruling that blocked the Biden administration’s transportation mask mandate.
Air travelers rejoiced on Monday as all major airlines in the U.S. dropped mask requirements after U.S. District Judge Kathryn Kimball Mizel, an appointee of President Donald Trump, ruled that the federal mask mandate “violates the procedures required for agency rulemaking.”
Following the judge’s ruling, carriers including United Airlines, Delta Air Lines, American Airlines, JetBlue, and more immediately lifted their mask policies for customers, crew, and workers.
However, the DOJ announced that federal attorneys are working to appeal the decision to nullify the mask mandate at the request of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
“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.,” the department said in a statement. “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.”
Americans celebrated Mizel’s decision all over social media, including a viral video on Twitter showing joyful passengers taking off their face masks after hearing that the policy had been lifted.
“Ladies and gentlemen, this is your pilot speaking. This is the most important announcement I’ve ever made. The federal mask mandate is over. Take off your mask if you choose!” the Alaska Airlines pilot announced in the video.
But Democrats have been bitter over the reversal, with White House press secretary Jen Psaki raining on everyone’s parade when she dismissed the trending video on Tuesday.
“I’ve seen those videos. Anecdotes are not data, right?” she said, while onboard Air Force One. “And certainly, that does tell a part of the story. But we don’t make these decisions based on politics or based on the political whims on a plane or even in a poll. But I would note in polls, and data, lengthier data, there are still a lot of people in this country who still want to have masks in place.”
President Joe Biden was also mum when asked by a reporter if people should continue wearing a mask while traveling.
“Should people continue to wear masks on planes?” asked the reporter, to which the president responded: “That’s up to them.”
