GOP senators call for CDC to say the fully vaccinated don't need masks on public transit

Several Republican senators have introduced a resolution calling for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to update its mask guidance to indicate that people fully vaccinated against COVID-19 do not need to wear face masks while traveling on public transportation.

The resolution introduced by Sens. Ted Cruz of Texas, Susan Collins of Maine, Jerry Moran of Kansas, Roger Wicker of Mississippi, Cynthia Lummis of Wyoming, and Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee also calls for the Transportation Security Administration to update its mask requirements to the same effect.

"It's long past time for President Biden and the CDC to follow the science and end this mask mandate for fully vaccinated individuals," Cruz said in a statement. "Americans should be able to travel to celebrate Independence Day with their friends and loved ones without having to follow an outdated and unnecessary mandate."

The text of the resolution urges the CDC "to review and update its guidance relating to mask wearing in confined places to clarify that individuals fully vaccinated against COVID–19 no longer need to wear a mask on public transportation networks throughout the United States, including at airports, onboard commercial aircraft, on over-the-road buses, and on commuter bus and rail systems." The resolution says that the Senate chamber "believes the Transportation Security Administration should update its mask requirements, to be consistent with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance, to permit fully vaccinated Individuals to travel on all transportation networks throughout the United States without wearing a mask."