Democrats Block GOP Bill That Would Ban Federal Mask Mandates

Contact Your Elected Officials
The Epoch Times Header

Republican efforts to ban mask mandates amid a revival of what some call COVID-19 hysteria were dealt a blow in the Senate on Thursday as Democrats blocked a request by Sen. J.D. Vance (R-Ohio) for floor consideration of a bill that would have prohibited federal masking requirements.

Called the Freedom to Breathe Act (pdf), the bill introduced by Mr. Vance would stop any federal official, including the U.S. President, from implementing mask mandates through the end of next year.

The measure would also prevent airlines, schools and colleges, and public transit systems from refusing services to anyone not wearing a mask.

His proposal comes as COVID-19 cases are on the rise, leading some institutions to reimpose mask mandates and sparking concerns of another tidal wave of COVID-19 restrictions.

Mr. Vance said earlier that he would try to force floor consideration of his bill and, speaking on the Senate floor on Sept. 7, made a case for its passage.

“All of us have lived through the failed experiment of mandatory masking,” Mr. Vance said.

“Today, I want to ensure that we do not subject the American people to this tyranny again for the sake of nothing,” Mr. Vance continued, adding that seasonal upticks in endemic respiratory viruses like COVID-19 are normal and no cause for alarm. remove

“They shouldn’t cause panic from our leadership or our country, and they shouldn’t cause us to reimpose a policy that has failed time and time again,” he added.

Calling previous policies of mandatory masking a “failure” that had very few benefits compared to the costs, Mr. Vance called for expedited consideration and unanimous passage of his bill under a process known as unanimous consent.

‘Democrats Have Sent a Clear Signal’

Under the unanimous consent process, the usual lengthy debate and formal vote process on a bill is avoided by obtaining agreement from all senators, meaning a single objection can sink the effort.

Mr. Vance’s proposal for his bill to be passed by unanimous consent failed as Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) objected, blocking the measure.

Speaking on the Senate floor, Mr. Markey claimed the bill would hamper pandemic response efforts and would “hamstring public health experts who guided our nation out of the pandemic.”

Byย Tom Ozimek

Read Full Article on TheEpochTimes.com

The Epoch Times
The Epoch Timeshttps://www.theepochtimes.com/
Tired of biased news? The Epoch Times is truthful, factual news that other media outlets don't report. No spin. No agenda. Just honest journalism like it used to be.

Why the Trump Administration is Sitting on the Epstein Files

President Trump, AG Bondi, and FBI Dir. Patel have the advantage over us in that they see the big overall picture when it comes to the Epstein List.

Trumpโ€™s โ€œMajor Statementโ€ On Russia Is A Clumsy Attempt To Thread The Needle

The โ€œmajor statementโ€ on Russia Trump hyped up turned out to be an attempt to thread the needle between escalating US involvement in Ukrainian and walking away from it.

AI Takes Customer Service from Doublespeak to Triplespeak

Corporations are replacing customer service agents with AI agents. Here's a real-life example of attempting to use AI to have my internet restored.

The Left’s Descent into Extremismย ย 

The political left, from mainstream Dems to radical Antifa, have embraced extremism, alienating swaths of the public and undermining their own influence.

Roger Stone Speaks About Trump at Turning Point USA

Longtime Donald Trump friend, Roger Stone, gave a speech at the 2025 TPUSA convention offering his take on the recent Epstein List controversy.

Border Czar Says Physical Appearance โ€˜Canโ€™t Be the Sole Reasonโ€™ to Detain Someone

Border czar Homan said comments were โ€œtaken out of contextโ€ and federal immigration enforcement agents can't detain people based on physical appearances alone.

Capacity of US Coal-Fired Power Plants to Fall Over 15 Percent by 2028

Total operating capacity of coal-fired power plants in US is set to drop to 145 GW by end of 2028, a 15% decline from the 172 GW in operation as of May.

Violence Against ICE Escalates Across America

ICE officers face increased confrontation on the street, which crosses the line between free speech and physical violence.

International Buyers Purchased $56 Billion Worth of US Homes in 1 Year

Foreign buyers purchased $56 billion worth of existing homes in the US between April 2024 and March 2025, up by 33.2% from the previous 12 months.

CMS Eyes 3.8 Percent Pay Hike for Doctors, Medicare Cost Cuts, and Chronic Care Expansion

Trump admin plan will save billions on wasteful spending, boost rates for doctors, and modernizing Medicare services, said HHS Sec. RFK, Jr.

DOGE Announces Billions of Dollars in Federal Contracts Terminated

In post on X on July 12, DOGE, stated that โ€œover the last week, agencies terminated 230 wasteful contracts,โ€ resulting in savings of $407 million.

Trump to Announce $70 Billion Energy and Innovation Investment in Pittsburgh

President Trump is meeting with business leaders to discuss how best to meet the energy and computing needs of the future.

Attorney General Pam Bondi Dismisses Justice Departmentโ€™s Top Ethics Lawyer

AG Pam Bondi terminated the head of the DOJโ€™s ethics division, according to a letter posted to social media by the fired official.
spot_img

Related Articles