Rules that health officials exceeded their authority.
U.S. District Judge Kathryn Kimball Mizelle in Tampa has voided the national mask mandate covering airplanes and other public transportation as having exceeded the authority of U.S. health officials. The judge said the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) improperly failed to justify its decision and did not allow proper rulemaking according to the Administrative Procedure Act (APA).
“The court concludes that the mask mandate exceeds the CDC’s statutory authority and violates the procedures required for agency rulemaking under the APA,” the judge wrote. “Accordingly, the court vacates the mandate and remands it to the CDC.”
The judge also wrote that the court “accepts the CDC’s policy determination that requiring masks will limit COVID-19 transmission and will thus decrease the serious illnesses and death that COVID-19 occasions” but “that finding by itself is not sufficient to establish good cause.”
The Justice Department is reviewing the decision.
As the Lord Leads, Pray with Us…
- For federal judges to seek God’s guidance as they issue decisions on the cases before them.
- For TSA Administrator Pekoske as he works to maintain travel safety.
- For discernment for Director Walensky as she issues public health advisories and guidance.
Sources: CBS News, Just The News
