In a heated exchange during a House Education and the Workforce Committee hearing, Representative Kevin Kiley (R-Calif.) challenged Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra on the rationale behind mandating masks for young children during the COVID-19 pandemic. Kiley pointedly questioned the scientific basis for requiring even two-year-olds to wear masks and pressed Becerra to provide concrete evidence of any public health benefits.

Becerra responded by emphasizing the general importance of masking in mitigating the pandemic's spread but stopped short of directly addressing Kiley's specific concerns about the efficacy of child masking. Kiley pressed further, accusing the secretary of dodging the question and demanding evidence to support the policy. He specifically asked Becerra to cite any data demonstrating a public health benefit from forcing young children to wear masks.

Kiley also highlighted the discrepancy between HHS policy and international norms, noting that many other countries did not impose mask mandates on young children. He questioned why the United States adopted a different approach. Becerra again offered a general defense of masking practices but failed to provide a specific justification for the HHS policy.

The congressman emphasized the stringent restrictions imposed in his home state of California, where preschoolers were subject to mask mandates. He expressed concern that HHS policy, which still mentions masking on its website, appears out of step with current scientific understanding and the practices of other nations.

The exchange highlighted ongoing debate surrounding the efficacy and appropriateness of child masking policies during the pandemic.