The White House on Monday said it was “disappointing” that a federal judge ruled against the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) mandate for all people to wear masks on public transportation.
“This is obviously a disappointing decision,” White House press secretary Jen Psaki said during the daily briefing on Monday in reaction to the ruling.
She said the CDC needed more time to study the “science” and the data behind masking and the future of the coronavirus spread across the country.
U.S. District Judge Kathryn Kimball Mizelle, who was appointed by former President Donald Trump, issued a ruling saying the CDC had exceeded its authority with the mask mandate in airports.
Travelers wait in line at the TSA checkpoint in the Miami International Airport on September 03, 2021, in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
Psaki said the CDC and the Department of Justice would continue to review the legal decision before deciding their next steps.
The lawsuit was filed by the “Health Freedom Defense Fund.”
When asked why the mask mandate for the use of public travel continued despite the widespread lifting of mask mandates, Psaki replied that she was not a doctor.
“I’m not a doctor, you’re not a doctor, that I’m aware of,” she told Fox News reporter Peter Doocy.
She defended the mask mandate as based on “health considerations” and “data.”
“Some people can still wear a mask if they want to, many people do,” she added. “Or wear them in meetings or wear them at certain times when you’re going to be around or sitting close to people.”