“Not Grounded In Reality”: Many Republican Governors Make Clear They Will Not Be Mandating Masks Or Vaccines

Republican governors are starting to speak out against what is becoming almost daily flip-flopping by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), who is now once again advocating that everybody wear masks indoors. 

Several governors have said their respective states would break from the CDC’s recommendation and not return to the mask mandates, according to the Hill. 

Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts railed against the CDC: 

“The CDC’s new guidance suggesting that vaccinated people wear masks indoors flies in the face of the public health goals that should guide the agency’s decision making. The State of Nebraska will not be adopting their mask guidance.”

Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey also spoke out:

“Public health officials in Arizona and across the country have made it clear that the best protection against COVID-19 is the vaccine. Today’s announcement by the CDC will unfortunately only diminish confidence in the vaccine and create more challenges for public health officials — people who have worked tirelessly to increase vaccination rates.”

CDC Director Rochelle Walensky said on Wednesday that the Delta variant has “changed the agency’s best understanding of the science of the virus”.

And as soon as we tailor everything to one variant, it’ll be on to the next, right?

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has said he “trusts parents to… make the best choices for their kids.” 

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s office also spoke out:

 “Gov. Abbott has been clear that the time for government mandating of masks is over — now is the time for personal responsibility. Every Texan has the right to choose whether they will wear a mask, or have their children wear masks.”

Texas had previously issued a mask mandate in 2020, requiring citizens to wear masks indoors for 250 days. After that, Abbott issued an executive order preventing local governments from issuing their own orders.

Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds also spoke out, calling the new rules “not grounded in reality or common sense.”

“I’m concerned that this guidance will be used as a vehicle to mandate masks in states and schools across the country, something I do not support,” she continued. 

South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem also spoke out on Twitter:

 “The CDC shifts their position AGAIN. South Dakota’s cases remain low. If you’re worried about the virus, you’re free to get vaccinated, wear a mask, or stay home. But we won’t be mandating anything. And the CDC’s inconsistency doesn’t help the American people.”

Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey also said she would not be taking additional steps to mandate the vaccine: 

“There are those who believe that government should mandate the vaccine or that we should bribe people to take it. That’s not going to happen in my state, no matter how many times the media ask me.”

Meanwhile the line from the Biden administration has been that the new rules will help “avoid the kind of lockdowns, shutdowns, school closures and disruptions we faced in 2020.”

“Unlike 2020, we have both the scientific knowledge and the tools to prevent the spread of this disease. We are not going back to that,” Biden said.

Maybe someone should get him a copy of USA Today:

Just remember, it’s because of “science.”