WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Senator Rick Scott was joined by Senator Lee on the Senate floor to speak about the Stop Mandating Additional Requirements for Travel (SMART) Act, and ask for its passage by unanimous consent. The SMART Act would prohibit the federal government from requiring Americans to wear masks on public transportation. Senate Democrats blocked its passage. Representative Dan Crenshaw (R-TX) is introducing companion legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Senator Rick Scott said, “While we choose to listen to the science, all the Democrats care about is following their political science. The CDC itself has been clear mask mandates aren’t needed. So, why is the CDC singling out airlines and public transportation? It doesn’t make sense. Just like the federal government should not be in the business of requiring Americans to turn over their vaccination records, the federal government should not be mandating citizens wear masks on public transportation. Americans should be free to make choices they feel are in the best interest of their own health and the health of their loved ones. We have to listen to the science and work together to move America forward.”

Senator Mike Lee said, “The CDC’s requirement that vaccinated individuals wear masks on public transportation is no longer defensible, as it blatantly contradicts the agency’s own policies and research. With the vaccine now free and widely available, Americans should be able to choose for themselves whether to receive it, whether to wear a mask, or whether to take their own precautions – free of mandates imposed by the government.”

Representative Dan Crenshaw said, “We've known for months that federal mandates requiring masks on airplanes and other means of transportation were unscientific. The doomsday predictions of lifting mask mandates in restaurants and other businesses never materialized, and it's time we actually 'follow the science' for public transportation as well. Resuming full, unimpeded travel is crucial to getting our economy back on track and we should remove any misguided obstacles to making that happen. I'm proud to join with Senator Scott on this commonsense effort and urge my colleagues in the House and Senate to join us in passing this legislation.”

See more in the video HERE or below.

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