Letter to Hon. Joseph Biden, President of the United States - Sen. Cramer, Colleagues Call to End Federal COVID Travel Restrictions, Mask Mandates

Letter

U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND) joined Senator Roger Wicker (R-MS) and 30 Senate colleagues in a letter to President Biden urging the Administration to lift travel restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic. The senators called for an end to pre-departure testing requirements for travel to the U.S. and the federal mask mandate for travel. This comes as the Biden Administration today announced it would be extending the federal mas mandate for domestic travel an additional 30 days to April 18.

"We believe current travel restrictions in place should be phased out, allowed to expire, or eliminated altogether. Lifting these restrictions is supported by the science, in particular the significant decline in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations coupled with ever-increasing vaccination rates. Countries around the world have been ending pre-departure testing requirements for international travel, yet these are still in place for travel to the United States," wrote the senators.

"With the federal mask mandate for travel set to expire on March 18, 2022, we believe it is time for the Administration to give serious consideration to letting the mandate expire in order to return travel to normal. Ending this unnecessary mandate would lead to a safer and more pleasant travel experience for passengers and air crew alike," continued the senators.

Senators Cramer and Wicker are joined by Senators Jim Risch (R-ID), Richard Burr (R-NC), John Cornyn (R-TX), Mike Crapo (R-ID), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Thom Tillis (R-NC), John Barrasso (R-WY), Steve Daines (R-MT), Dan Sullivan (R-AK), Joni Ernst (R-IA), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS), Mike Braun (R-IN), Mike Lee (R-UT), Roy Blunt (R-MO), Rick Scott (R-FL), John Thune (R-SD), James Lankford (R-OK), John Boozman (R-AR), Marco Rubio (R-FL), Jim Inhofe (R-OK), Bill Cassidy (R-LA), Ron Johnson (R-WI), Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), Todd Young (R-IN), John Hoeven (R-ND), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Roger Marshall (R-KS), Susan Collins (R-ME), and Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV).