Katie Britt, a Republican candidate for the U.S. Senate, says the government has no place in requiring children to wear masks in schools or issuing mask mandates in any setting.

Britt’s stance comes as the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has recommended state and local governments implement what it calls “universal indoor masking” requirements.

The CDC’s recommendation includes mask mandates for “all teachers, staff, students, and visitors to schools, regardless of vaccination status.”

Britt believes this steals from the power of parents to make decisions about what is best for their children.

“Alabamians should be free to choose what’s best for themselves and their families,” she said in a statement to Yellowhammer News. “That means parents, not the government, in consultation with their family doctor should decide what’s best for their own children. This shouldn’t be controversial.”

Britt reacted to the CDC’s guidance last week on social media, calling it “unacceptable.”

This is unacceptable. From learning loss to the negative effects related to mental illness, abuse and neglect, Alabama’s children have already suffered far too much as a result of the pandemic.

I’m against any form of mask mandate returning in our state.https://t.co/saRjGoPMOf

— Katie Britt for AL (@KatieBrittforAL) July 28, 2021

White House chief health adviser Dr. Anthony Fauci said on Sunday that Americans should not be given a choice on masking.

Fauci pointed to unvaccinated individuals as the reason why he supported the reinstatement of mask mandates across the country.

“[W]hen you look at the country as a whole, the unvaccinated by not being vaccinated are allowing the propagation and spread of the outbreak, which ultimately impacts everyone,” he stated.

In contrast to Fauci, Britt outlined that the CDC’s recommendations would only serve to infringe upon individual rights and discourage more people from considering the vaccine.

She wrote last week, “Freedom is the solution, not the problem. And what the CDC has now recommended in another reversal — calling on vaccinated Americans to wear masks indoors again — is just another disincentive to getting more people vaccinated. This is counterproductive and should be rejected.”

In late 2020, when other states began shutting businesses down for a second time, Britt led a grassroots effort opposing such a move for the Yellowhammer State.

She once again pointed to the risk facing the state when it wades into government mandates for private businesses.

“We must protect our right to work, the right of businesses to operate, and the right of our kids to attend school in person,” she concluded. “I’m firmly against any lockdowns, school closures, or mandates — no matter what level of government they’re coming from. As I’ve emphasized before, I chose to get vaccinated, and I encourage others to do so in consultation with their primary care physician. However, that should be a decision made with informed consent, not forced by a governmental mandate. Our country’s principles have been tested during the pandemic, and we must hold strong when it comes to preserving individual liberties.”

Tim Howe is an owner of Yellowhammer Multimedia