Blue states are moving on from the pandemic. Can Biden?
Sidebar
The Washington Post
4.1 • 4.6K Ratings
🗓️ 10 February 2022
⏱️ 24 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
The White House is in a tough spot as Democratic governors begin lifting mask mandates. How long will President Biden hold out while facing pressure from his own party? And what accounts for the discrepancy between state governments and CDC guidance?
- Biden mandates vaccines for millions. Can he do that?
- Biden vs. the delta variant
- Mask mandates continue to fall as Fauci says U.S. may be approaching ‘normality’
Transcript
Click on a timestamp to play from that location
| 0:00.0 | Give a helping hand this holiday season with the Washington Post helping hand. |
| 0:04.6 | This is John Kelly and I'm writing about Bread for the City, Friendship Place, and Miriam's Kitchen over the next few weeks. |
| 0:11.1 | Go to posthelpinghand.com to learn more and donate today. |
| 0:16.0 | Can you name Americans for being confused and frustrated and having no idea who they should be listening to right now? |
| 0:22.8 | Well, our guidance has consistently been this. |
| 0:27.5 | When you are in a high transmission area, which is everywhere in the country, you should wear a mask and ins or settings, including schools. |
| 0:35.5 | With COVID-19 cases waning and the Omicron surge subsiding, a lot of Americans are just over it. |
| 0:44.5 | Attitudes have been shifting as many people are seeking a return to a somewhat normal life. |
| 0:49.5 | A life without masks, without social distancing, and other public health measures that were put in place before vaccines and therapeutics were available. |
| 0:57.5 | The changes in perspective come as several democratic governors have been lifting mask mandates for public spaces and in some schools. |
| 1:05.5 | The protocols for masks to be worn in schools and child care centers as of the 28 no longer be ordered the state of Connecticut. |
| 1:15.5 | It will be up to you. |
| 1:17.5 | And some Democrats in the House are even calling for an end to mask mandates themselves, but not everybody is on board. |
| 1:26.5 | Even as case numbers are plummeting, there's still at record levels for the entire pandemic, a seven-day average of over 300,000 on Sunday. |
| 1:35.5 | The CDC has made it clear that they still recommend masking in areas of high and substantial transmission, which is the vast majority of the country right now. |
| 1:44.5 | We've been reporting hospitalizations, we look at deaths, and of course those decisions are made at the local level. |
| 1:49.5 | But at this time, we continue to recommend masking in areas of high and substantial transmission. |
| 1:54.5 | And as for the Biden administration, they've continued to defer to the CDC. |
| 1:58.5 | CDC run the risk of becoming irrelevant in the lives of many Americans, even if their states are moving along ahead without them. |
| 2:06.5 | Well, I don't think the federal experts on health and medical advice should be irrelevant to Americans at a time where we're still facing a pandemic. |
| 2:15.5 | That tension between some Democratic leaders and the White House puts President Biden in a tough position. |
| 2:21.5 | How long will he hold out on mask mandates when faced with pressure from the public and from other leaders in his party? |
... |
Please login to see the full transcript.
Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from The Washington Post, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.
Generated transcripts are the property of The Washington Post and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.
Copyright © Tapesearch 2026.