Senator Tom Carper (D-DE), the chairman of the Environment and Public Works committee, remotely led a Senate hearing early Wednesday from an Amtrak train while not wearing a mask, an apparent violation of President Joe Biden’s mask mandate and Amtrak policy.
A video clip of the hearing, posted by C-Span, shows the mask-less Democratic senator addressing a committee from aboard the Amtrak and explaining the reason for his delayed arrival. “Joe Biden [was] up in Wilmington last night, slept in his own bed, so he could go to the St. Patrick’s day breakfast and mass at St. Patrick’s Church,” he said.
“Unbeknownst to me, the whole city of Wilmington practically was shut down,” Carper, who like Biden is from Delaware, explained. “No traffic was moving, and I know the police pretty well, but there was no way they were going to let me go through, so I end up missing my train [inaudible]… maybe I’ll just drive down, but they also shut down access to I-95 for the most part. So I end up on the next train, and I’m joining you remotely, but I’ve never done this before, so we’ll see how it works out.”
Carper can be seen not wearing a mask throughout his remarks in the drinking water and wastewater infrastructure hearing. The Democratic senator speaks from the train for about ten minutes before announcing that he’s arrived at his destination, and will join them in-person shortly.
WATCH: @SenatorCarper began chairing a hearing this morning on a train and arrived about 30 minutes later.@SenDuckworth: “I hope you weren’t on the quiet car.”
Sen. Carper: “I was not. I went all the way to the front car and there weren’t many people up there.” pic.twitter.com/Yb0WFDXZqs
— CSPAN (@cspan) March 17, 2021
The face mask policy on Amtrak’s website reads: “Federal law and Amtrak policy require all customers and employees to wear a mask or covering that fully covers the entire mouth and nose, fits snugly against the side of the face, and secures under the chin at all times while on board trains and in stations, even if state or local policies are different.”
On the second day of his presidency, Biden signed a face-mask order directed at various methods of public transportation used for interstate travel, including buses, trains, and commercial aircraft. About ten days later, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention issued an 11-page order requiring masks on transportation systems in order to help the United States “control this pandemic and aid in re-opening America’s economy.”
As The Daily Wire previously reported, the CDC’s face-mask travel order grants exemption to “children under the age of 2, anyone who cannot wear a mask or wear one safely due to a disability, and anyone who would be risking workplace safety or health by wearing a mask. All masks must cover both the mouth and nose of the wearer.”
A footnote to the CDC’s order reads: “While this Order may be enforced and CDC reserves the right to enforce through criminal penalties, CDC does not intend to rely primarily on these criminal penalties but instead strongly encourages and anticipates widespread voluntary compliance as well as support from other federal agencies in implementing additional civil measures enforcing the provisions of this order, to the extent permitted by law and consistent with President Biden’s executive order of January 21, 2021 (Promoting COVID-19 Safety In Domestic and International Travel).”