WASHINGTON – Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) today delivered remarks on the Senate floor in support of Sen. Rick’s Scott’s (R-FL) Stop Mandating Additional Requirements for Travel (SMART) Act, and to ask for its passage by unanimous consent. Though Democrats blocked its passage, the SMART Act would prohibit the federal government from requiring Americans to wear masks on public transportation.

“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,” said Sen. Lee. “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.”

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.”

Click here for full text of the speech.