NYT is not Congressional hearing that every item needs to be addressed. He said he met with his various staffs regularly; no doubt Ebola has been discussed too. Appearent inaction doesn’t mean they never looked at it. Perhaps they just thought not proprity for US at this moment.
Other than the fact I’ve never seen a witness answer a Congressman’s question, usually because the Congessman pontificates five minutes and never gets around to asking one, except maybe one he also provides the answer, I accept your points as valid