Biden reprimands Republican governors for prohibiting mask mandates

President Joe Biden on Tuesday reprimanded GOP governors for banning mask mandates, as he told them to let "businesses and universities who want to do the right thing to be able to do it."

"We need leadership from everyone and if some governors aren't willing to do the right thing to beat this pandemic, then they should allow businesses and universities who want to do the right thing to be able to do it," Biden said at the White House on Tuesday, according to The Hill.

"I say to these governors, please help. If you aren't going to help, at least get out of the way of people who are trying to do the right thing. Use your power to save lives," he added.

Biden was asked about Florida and Texas, where governors Ron DeSantis and Greg Abbott, respectively, have signed executive orders prohibiting mask mandates.

"I believe the results of their decisions are not good for their constituents, and it's clear to me and to most of the medical experts that the decisions being made like not allowing mask mandates in schools and the like are bad health policy," Biden said during the press conference.

When asked why he doesn't tell DeSantis this message directly over a phone call, Biden said, "He knows the message. We had a little discussion while we were down there," apparently referring to his trip to Surfside, Fla., in July, following the condominum collapse.

Arizona, Iowa, South Carolina, and Vermont have also banned schools from implementing mask mandates.