Clip: The mask mandate for travel is over. Or is it?

Alcindor : But we have to get one more story, because this was a busy, busy full week. On Monday, a federal judge overturned the federal mask mandate for air travel and other transportation and on Wednesday, I should say, the Justice Department announced it is appealing the ruling at the urging of the CDC.

So, Laura, I want to bring you in here at the White House. We`ve been talking to some sources. They were concerned about being the mask police and seen as the person who is telling the Americans, sorry, you cannot be relieved right now. But how concerned are they with a possible precedent being set here with a federal judge weighing on the CDC`s ability to set public health guidance?

Barron-Lopez : That`s exactly, Yamiche. I mean, that is the biggest thing that the administration and CDC, you know, officials, as former CDC scientists have told me that they`re worried about this most, which is that, what does this do to CDC authority in the future in order to combat pandemic, in order to combat infectious diseases. I mean, the CDC was first created in order to -- like as a malaria control agency.

So this is really at the core of its mission which -- and the pandemic, the current pandemic we`re in isn`t over. There is definitely going to be another pandemic. I mean, that is a given. It may not be right away but that is so much a part of what the CDC has to do and right now, this judge, you know, taking a piece out of their not is why they`re saying we need to go back in and try to make sure that it isn`t in the long term damaged.

Alcindor : Yeah. And what they`re weighing there in looking at sort of that appeal, this is what, David, you experienced. You were on a plane from Boston to D.C. when the policies were changing. Tell us a little bit about what you saw.

Sanger : You know, it`s kind of amusing. So, we`re taking off from Massachusetts, the bluest of blue states, going to D.C., the bluest of blue cities, right? And the pilot came on. Everybody knew about the court ruling, and said, no matter what the confusion is about the court ruling and its meaning, it`s American Airlines` policy now that everybody has to keep a mask on. So everything kept a mask on.

And about 20 minutes into the flight they announced to us that the mask mandate has been lifted and you saw people throwing their masks up in the air like you were at a college graduation, and they were tossing the caps, right?

It tells you how quickly the airlines really wanted to get rid of this. And what the court case tells you in an odd way is little sign that is the Biden administration really would like to get in off their hands, too, because, as Laura said, they want to keep the authority of the CDC, but that doesn`t mean they want to keep the masks.

And so, the one thing they didn`t do this week was ask for a stay to keep the court ruling from taking effect.

Alcindor : Yeah, very fascinating.

Sanger : Yeah. So, that tells you they may not really want to win.

Alcindor : And, Dan, we only have 10 seconds left, but you`re -- I want to just let you weigh in quickly here, how concerned is the White House and Democrats about possible backlash and confusion?

Balz : Well, I think they`re very worried about it. I mean, this has created a real dilemma for them, as David indicated. On the one hand, they want this authority for, you know, whatever and as Laura indicated also, I mean, this authority is important in a public health situation and in a public health perspective.

But from a political perspective, they don`t want to be the people who reinstall or reinstate a mask mandate particularly on airplanes and public transportation. So, this was -- had been extended until May. We don`t know whether it would have come off at that point or not. But politically, they`ve got a -- they`ve got a difficult problem on their hands.

Alcindor : Well, that`s -- that`s going to be something they`re going to have to continue to navigate because people are so relieved, as David experienced.

So, thank you so much to Dan, to Laura, to David, for sharing your reporting and coming on and joining us.