[terry]

Under Ronald Reagan we raised the minimum drinking age to 21. The basic deal for states: raise your drinking age to 21 or we cut your federal highway funds. 

If the federal government was so inclined, they could and would find a way to get states to mandate mask-wearing in public during a health emergency. I don't want to cross the no-politics rule, so I'm not saying what I think should be done, I'm just saying that it could be done.

Different era.  Not nearly the partisanship.  If that was tried today, a case would be brought in Federal Court and the Feds action would be deemed unconstitutional. 

The drinking age issue actually did go to the Supreme Court. South Dakota v. Dole (1987). The court held that Congress could withhold 5% of highway funds from states that did not have a drinking age of 21. There are ways for Congress to use federal funds to nudge the states, so long as it's not overly coercive.

The president doesn't have power over federal funds, nor can he impose a mask requirement by edict. But he has a position that gives him a lot of influence, if he wants to use it.

[terry]

Under Ronald Reagan we raised the minimum drinking age to 21. The basic deal for states: raise your drinking age to 21 or we cut your federal highway funds. 

If the federal government was so inclined, they could and would find a way to get states to mandate mask-wearing in public during a health emergency. I don't want to cross the no-politics rule, so I'm not saying what I think should be done, I'm just saying that it could be done.

Different era.  Not nearly the partisanship.  If that was tried today, a case would be brought in Federal Court and the Feds action would be deemed unconstitutional. 

The drinking age issue actually did go to the Supreme Court. South Dakota v. Dole (1987). The court held that Congress could withhold 5% of highway funds from states that did not have a drinking age of 21. There are ways for Congress to use federal funds to nudge the states, so long as it's not overly coercive.

The president doesn't have power over federal funds, nor can he impose a mask requirement by edict. But he has a position that gives him a lot of influence, if he wants to use it.