Politics

Biden Says He Discussed National Mask Mandate With Governors During Meeting

REUTERS/REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque

Patrick Hauf Contributor
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President-elect Joe Biden said he discussed the potential of establishing a national mask mandate in a meeting with select governors Thursday, according to reports. 

Biden met with the National Governors Association’s Executive Committee, then mentioning the discussion regarding a mask mandate during remarks after the meeting, the Washington Times reported. All of the governors on the committee have issued some form of a mask mandate in their respective states. Governors of the 13 states without mask mandates were not at the meeting. (RELATED: Biden To Meet With Pelosi, Schumer For First Time Since Election)

“We discussed the implementation of a national mask mandate,” Biden said. “Ten governors, Democrat and Republican, have imposed masking requirements and recognized the need for universal masking — north, south, east, and west. It’s not a political statement. It’s a patriotic duty.”

The NGA executive committee includes Govs. Andrew Cuomo of New York, Asa Hutchinson of Arkansas, Kay Ivey of Alabama, Jared Polis of Colorado, Larry Hogan of Maryland, Charlie Baker of Massachusetts, Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan, Michelle Lujan Grisham of New Mexico and Gary Herbert of Utah.

States that have no mask mandates include Alaska, Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, and Wyoming, according to the Washington Times. The governors of these states were not in the meeting with Biden. (RELATED: ‘No Room For Politics’: Pfizer Is Actively Communicating With Biden Transition Team)

Mask mandates have yet to be ruled unconstitutional, with some lawsuits still pending in different states, Newsweek reported