Republican Florida Sen. Marco Rubio sent a letter Friday to President Joe Biden expressing his concerns with the administration’s decision to extend the federal travel mask mandate and lift Title 42 at the border.
The Daily Caller first obtained the letter to Biden in which Rubio mentioned his issues with the Biden administration’s decision to end Title 42, a public health measure issued in response to the COVID-19 pandemic that allows the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to rapidly expel migrants on public health grounds.
He also shared his confusion about the administration’s decision to enforce a federal mask mandate on public transportation. Currently, in most states and cities, people can go into public indoor spaces without masks, but the CDC has maintained its mask mandate for passengers on planes and public transportation.
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) announced in March that it would extend the current mask mandate for public transportation through April 18.
“I write to express concern and confusion with your administration’s recently announced policies relating to immigration and travel across the United States. Over just a few weeks, you and your Departments of Homeland Security (DHS) and Transportation (DOT) have conveyed to the American people incoherent, contradictory, and ultimately destructive priorities about the state of the COVID-19 pandemic, our border security, and safety across our nation’s system of air travel,” Rubio wrote in the letter.
Border agents encountered a record two million migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border in 2021. In fiscal 2021, they seized $3.31 billion in counterfeit goods, over 319,000 pounds of marijuana, over 190,000 pounds of methamphetamine and over 97,000 pounds of cocaine. (RELATED: Even Democrats Are Speaking Out Against The CDC Ending Title 42)
READ THE LETTER HERE:
(DAILY CALLER OBTAINED) — 04.08.22 SMR Biden Letter Re Border Flight COVID-19 Policies by Henry Rodgers on Scribd
Republican Wisconsin Rep. Glenn Grothman and a group of House Republicans sent Biden a similar letter Tuesday, calling on him to reverse his administration’s decision to lift Title 42 and asking for a briefing from government agencies.(RELATED: EXCLUSIVE: House Republicans Call On Biden To Keep Title 42 In Place, Call For Briefing From CDC, DHS)
Even some moderate Democrats are speaking out against the decision to end Title 42 such as Democratic New Hampshire Sen. Maggie Hassan. (RELATED: EXCLUSIVE: Senate Republicans Demand Answers Over DOD Program That Could Target Military Members Who Speak Out On ‘Woke, Leftist Ideology’)
“Ending Title 42 prematurely will likely lead to a migrant surge that the administration does not appear to be ready for. I’ll keep pushing the administration to strengthen border security & look forward to hearing directly from border agents during my upcoming trip to the border,” Hassan tweeted April 1.
The CDC announced April 1 that Title 42 will be terminated May 23.
“I implore you and your administration to immediately recalibrate these priorities to be in line with those of the American people, who have made clear their support for securing the border, removing unscientific restrictions on domestic travel, and doing everything we can to get this country back to work,” Rubio’s letter to Biden concluded.
“The Biden Administration can’t seem to make up its mind about COVID,” Rubio told the Daily Caller. “Air travel is a public health risk, but shipping thousands of unvaccinated illegal immigrants to communities across the country apparently is not. It makes zero sense, it’s confusing to the American people, and frankly, it’s just stupid.”