Feb. 9, 2022: Biden lags behind Dem govs on easing mask mandates

Across the country, top Democratic officials are relaxing mask mandates as Omicron recedes and concern rises about how masking is affecting schoolchildren. Meanwhile, Republicans have seized on the issue to attack Democrats as mask fundamentalists. The shift among Democrats accelerated Monday, when a bipartisan group of governors meeting with President Joe Biden in Washington told him they wanted a “return to a greater state of normality” and to “move beyond the pandemic.” Subscribe to POLITICO Playbook. Raghu Manavalan is the Host of POLITICO's Playbook. Jenny Ament is the Senior Producer of POLITICO Audio.