Florida asks Supreme Court to block CDC’s limits on cruise ship industry

Florida’s attorney general on Friday asked the Supreme Court to block federal health restrictions placed on the cruise ship industry amid the pandemic.

In a 31-page brief, Attorney General Ashley Moody (R) argued that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) limits exceed the agency’s authority under federal law.

“The statute grants the CDC limited powers to enact traditional quarantine measures,” the brief states. “It does not permit the agency to remake the entire cruise-ship industry.”

The request was filed to Justice Clarence Thomas, who handles emergency matters arising from Florida and surrounding states and who can act on the application alone or refer the matter to the rest of the justices.

Backstory: A federal judge in Tampa last month sided with Florida, finding that the CDC’s measure amounted to an unlawful government overreach. But last week a divided federal appeals court panel agreed to halt enforcement of that ruling while the CDC appeals, prompting Florida to ask the Supreme Court on Friday to lift the stay.