Ron DeSantis is leading a lawsuit against the FBI to end travel mask mandates

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Tuesday announced a lawsuit by 21 states aimed at ending federal mask mandates for air travel and public transportation.

“It’s high time to get rid of this unnecessary mandate and get back to normal life,” DeSantis said at a news conference announcing legal action against the Biden administration.

“It’s amazing that this has gone on for so long,” the governor said.

The Transportation Security Administration said earlier this month that the mandate would be extended until April 18.

The Centers for Disease Control recommended the move, arguing that travel posed an increased risk of infection.

DeSantis has blasted that decision, claiming that the masking requirements are being applied haphazardly and are no longer rooted in science.

The Florida governor noted that masks are no longer required at other mass gatherings, including the recent Super Bowl in Los Angeles.

DeSantis also claimed that face covering rules on airplanes and at transportation hubs discouraged travel and tourism.

Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody claimed Tuesday that the current mandates would not stand up to judicial scrutiny.

“This order is completely outside the bounds of federal authority, as we have successfully argued in numerous other cases,” she said.

The lawsuit, filed in Florida’s Middle District, will ask a judge to block enforcement of the federal mandate.

When asked why the lawsuit was necessary given the ongoing withdrawal of masking mandates, DeSantis said he wanted to protect himself from future reinstatements.

“As we get into next fall and winter, there might be an attempt to reintroduce it,” he said.