On the recordJune 13, 2024
Mr. Chair, my amendment prohibits the Secretary of Defense from requiring individuals to wear masks to prevent the spread of COVID-19 on any military installation in the United States. I was proud to introduce a similar amendment last year, and I am happy to do so again. Policies involving mandatory mask implementation are not about science or safety but control. Tom Jefferson, not to be confused with Thomas Jefferson, a leading epidemiologist who coauthored what The New York Times Opinion section called: ``The most rigorous and comprehensive analysis of scientific studies conducted on the efficacy of masks for reducing the spread of respiratory illness, including COVID-19'' found that there was no evidence that masks made a difference. It found that wearing a mask in public places probably makes little or no difference in the number of infections, and Dr. Fauci has recently admitted as much. Mr. Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.
