Patterico's Pontifications

9/9/2020

Joe Biden Now: Constitutional Issue About Federal Government Issuing Mask Mandate

Filed under: General — Dana @ 1:08 pm



[guest post by Dana]

Better late than never.

Back in mid-August, Joe Biden raised a ruckus when he called for an immediate, three-month-long national mask mandate. However, he now seems to understand that there would be some, um, very real problems with any binding orders:

Asked to respond to the governors who had appreciated President Trump’s more targeted coronavirus approach, which gave more authority to the states, Biden said, “Well, I hope you could trust the governors.

“But here’s the deal, the federal government — there’s a constitutional issue whether federal government could issue such a mandate. I don’t think constitutionally they could, so I wouldn’t issue a mandate.”

Given the legal challenges, Biden said, he would “plead with” people to wear a mask, adding, “I’d set an example.”

Biden then noted that case rates were dropping in places where local authorities had implemented mask orders.

“It’s about making sure the public is safe and secure, and that is a local decision but there should be national standards laid out as to how it should be gone about. You can’t mandate that,” he continued.

Biden had previously claimed that a mask mandate in place for three months could save as many as 40,000 lives.

–Dana

20 Responses to “Joe Biden Now: Constitutional Issue About Federal Government Issuing Mask Mandate”

  1. Biden was right to walk this back. However, personally, I still believe we would be way farther along in this mess if people just masked-up (when outside of their home and in close proximity to people they don’t live with and social distancing isn’t possible.)

    Dana (292df6)

  2. that doesn’t matter, obama said you couldn’t do daca and he did it any ways,

    bolivar de gris (7404b5)

  3. He’s an idiot.

    And the DNC should be cleaned out for nominating this cadaver-of-a-doofus to run against an easily beatable Trump.

    Just today, on MSNBC: “I’m very excited about Joe Biden.” – Nancy Pelosi 9/9/20
    She should be drug-tested– o perhaps she was brain-washed along w/her hair.

    Covid-19… and Trump Luck are in the air, kids: buy that lottery ticket.

    DCSCA (797bc0)

  4. Sorry Dana, but Biden does not understand. He was told to understand. He didn’t understand then and he doesn’t understand now.

    Hoi Polloi (093fb9)

  5. @ 4

    Kind of like a well-trained parrot. There is a facade of intelligence.

    Bored Lawyer (7b72ec)

  6. but you were in favor of that clear unconstitutional position, this has been a test case of how throttle economies, negative liberties, and other matters, we have seen how it has manifested itself in australia, which sadly has gone away from it’s settler roots,

    bolivar de gris (7404b5)

  7. Glad to see Biden come around.
    He’s probably not wrong that–if every governor mandated masks and distancing–40,000 lives could be saved.

    Paul Montagu (c80bd3)

  8. Don’t worry. If the teleprompter gets an update he’ll walk back the walk back and his supports will applaud the move. Welcome to the world where leadership is fumbling through a bad Ron Burgundy impersonation.

    frosty (f27e97)

  9. or captain lasarge of the police academy,

    bolivar de gris (7404b5)

  10. @5

    Person. Woman. Man. Camera. Tee-Vee.

    Dave (a64a40)

  11. Case rates after mask mandates issued after the peak in the Farr’s curve are going to decline. They would have declined with or without the mandate.

    Frank (bcb576)

  12. Really amazing. The “Party of Science” is pushing the idea that home made masks made to NO quality standard, with materials of NO proven effectiveness and worn with NO training as to proper fit, and ZERO scientific evidence that this is just the ticket.

    The notion that a talisman can protect you is prescientific. The scientific evidence for the effectiveness of run of the mill cloth mask is no different than the scientific evidence showing strands of garlic keep vampires at bay.

    Frank (bcb576)

  13. It used to be that signals got to the dinosaurs’ brain faster than 3 months.

    Kevin M (ab1c11)

  14. McEnany: No Really, Trump Will Tackle The National Debt In His Second Term

    The only president in my lifetime who actually ran a balanced budget was Bill Clinton, and he had to be dragged kicking and screaming to do it. Maybe Ike, but I was too young to take notice.

    Kevin M (ab1c11)

  15. They would have declined with or without the mandate.

    Post hoc ergo propter hoc is a ancient fallacy, but “it would have happened anyway” is even older nonsense.

    Kevin M (ab1c11)

  16. Who would have thought that Bill Clinton would be fondly remembered by Republicans for a quarter century and beyond, for his fiscal conservatism, social conservatism, and I don’t know, treating women with respect?

    Dustin (333d9f)

  17. Lol, Dustin.

    Dana (292df6)

  18. They would have declined with or without the mandate.

    Taking credit for rates that were already in decline pre-mandate is not scientific validation.

    Frank (bcb576)

  19. They would have declined with or without the mandate.

    Taking credit for rates that were already in decline pre-mandate is not scientific validation.

    Frank (bcb576)


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