President Joe Biden blamed Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) on Tuesday for the ongoing rise in coronavirus cases in their states.
“Just two states, Florida and Texas, account for one-third of all new COVID-19 cases in the entire country, just two states,” he said.
Biden was sharply critical of Republican governors who were enacting bans on mask mandates, even for vaccinated Americans.
“I say to these governors, please help. But if you’re not going to help, at least get out of the way of the people that are trying to do the right thing,” he said.
Last Thursday, Abbot issued an executive order prohibiting cities, schools, and state government officials from enacting mask mandates. On Friday, DeSantis also banned schools from mandating masks.
But Biden criticized the governors for making decisions that he described as “bad health policy.”
“I believe the results of their decisions are not good for their constituents,” he said.
Biden was also critical of governors of seven states that had enacted bans on mask mandates in schools.
He argued that mask mandates in schools were essential to protect “young children that cannot get vaccinated.”
“What are we doing?” he asked, calling for Republicans and Democrats to “come together” to solve the coronavirus pandemic.
DeSantis has defended his decision to ban mask mandates in public schools, describing it as a choice that parents should make for their children.
“The federal government has no right to tell parents that in order for their kids to attend school in person, they must be forced to wear a mask all day, every day,” he said.
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