U.S. Adam Schiff (D-Burbank) and Ro Khanna (D-Santa Clara) and Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) sent a letter to President Joe Biden on Feb. 1 asking the administration to prioritize educating Americans about higher quality masks and explore options to make them readily and freely available through the U.S. Postal Service, in addition to encouraging or even mandating mask wearing.

“We are encouraged by your declaration of a 100 Day Masking Challenge, asking Americans to do their patriotic duty and wear facial coverings to help stymie the spread of the virus over the first 100 days of your presidency, and requiring their use on federal property,” the representatives and senators wrote in the letter. “While many Americans understand that wearing a mask can help prevent transmission of the disease, many don’t realize that a high-quality mask can make it far less likely that the wearer will contract the disease, even if exposed to an infectious person.”

Study after study indicates that high levels of mask adoption by a population can reduce transmission of the virus, and may prevent asymptomatic or presymptomatic carriers from unknowingly infecting others.