{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.barrasso.senate.gov/newsroom-news-releases-barrasso-lummis-vote-to-ban-federal-mask-mandates/", "Barrasso, Lummis Vote to Ban Federal Mask Mandates", "2023-10-25", "2023", "2023-10", "Republican", "Senate", "WY", "John Barrasso", "B001261", "www.barrasso.senate.gov", "barrasso", "https://www.barrasso.senate.gov/newsroom/news-releases/", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, DC \u2013 Today, U.S. Senators John Barrasso and Cynthia Lummis, both R-Wyo., praised the U.S. Senate for passing Senator JD Vance\u2019s (R-Ohio) amendment to the Senate minibus appropriations bill prohibiting the Department of Transportation from using any federal funds to enforce mask mandates.\n\nThe amendment, which passed the Senate by a vote of 59-38, bans mask mandates on passenger airlines, commuter rail, rapid transit buses, and any other transportation program funding through Fiscal Year 2024.\n\n\u201cToday, the Senate took an important step in protecting the freedoms and rights of all Americans,\u201d said Senator Barrasso. \u201cThe federal government has no business mandating Americans wear masks on airlines or public transit. Thanks to Senator Vance\u2019s leadership, this amendment ensures people in Wyoming and across the country won\u2019t be forced to follow impractical Washington mandates. Senate Republicans will continue fighting to end unreasonable, one-size-fits-all rules from the federal government.\u201d\n\n\u201cWe cannot expect the people of Wyoming to forgo their personal freedoms for misguided and ineffective mask mandates,\u201d said Senator Lummis. \u201cThe passage of this commonsense amendment is a big win for states\u2019 rights and I am glad we are one step closer to shielding the people of Wyoming from D.C. bureaucrats\u2019 unfounded and heavy-handed federal mandates.\u201d\n\nBackground:\n\nBarrasso and Lummis are original co-sponsors of Senator Vance\u2019s Freedom to Breathe Act. This legislation would prevent the government from imposing new federal mask mandates for domestic air travel, public transit systems, and in schools.\n\nThe senators also joined Senator Vance and Senate Republicans this fall in a press conference supporting the Freedom to Breath Act.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T18:43:12Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.barrasso.senate.gov/newsroom-news-releases-barrasso-lummis-vote-to-ban-federal-mask-mandates/"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.870940275490284, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}