Posted on 10/16/2014 6:18:33 AM PDT by SoConPubbie
The Ebola outbreak in West Africa presents an urgent public health threat to America. The loss of life and the growing epidemic are heartbreaking and tragic. And we need serious leadership in the United States to protect our citizens today.
To date, roughly 8,000 people have contracted Ebola in West Africa. The Centers for Disease Control estimates that under worst-case-scenario conditions, the number of Ebola cases could reach 1.4 million by January. Of those, over 50 percent would likely lose their lives.
We need to do everything we can to contain this outbreak, to help the people who are suffering in Africa and to prevent this epidemic from spreading. But our first priority must be to protect the health and safety of American citizens. The Constitution sets forth the federal government’s responsibility to “provide for the common defense.” That should be the president’s focus.
Already, one Liberian citizen, Thomas Eric Duncan, was able to fly on a commercial flight to Texas, arriving at the Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport infected with Ebola. Duncan lost his life, but not before transmitting the disease to a Dallas nurse, Nina Pham, who bravely put her life in jeopardy caring for him in his final days. Officials announced on Wednesday that another health care worker had been diagnosed with the virus. Our prayers are with that worker, Pham and Duncan’s grieving family.
We all very much hope the virus will not spread any further in Texas. But hope is not a strategy. Given the gravity of the threat, common sense dictates that it’s time to ban flights from the countries afflicted by Ebola.
The federal government has implemented screenings at five major American airports for passengers arriving from Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea. Notably, the screenings don’t include other airports like DFW, where Duncan arrived.
(Excerpt) Read more at tribtalk.org ...
From the article:
“The question is simply whether we should continue to allow non-U.S. citizens to fly in commercial airliners out of West Africa, connect in Europe and arrive in the United States. We should not. Doing so imposes an intolerable risk, and the federal government should immediately suspend all travel visas from affected countries until the outbreak is contained.”
Last night Drudge announced that Speaker John Boehner took a stand and is now in favor urging a ban. Just hung up from Steve Chabot’s office and he announced on a radio show last week that he thought it was something the administration should consider.
Doesn’t the State Department make this call? Congress can request or do they use the power of the purse?
Please call your reps and ask them to do the right thing and ban.....
I am trying to get through to Portman’s office.
Bttt
“Newbie provocateur”
Where do you stop? For example, there's currently a link going about an Air France flight in Spain being isolated on the tarmac because one passenger may have Ebola symptoms. Say, for the sake of argument, it turns out the passenger has Ebola. Do you then prohibit anyone on the plane from travelling to the U.S. since they may be carriers now as well? Say you do ban people from Liberia or Sierra Leone from entering the U.S. What if they travel to Europe; how do you track people in those countries that they come into contact with? Saying "Ban anyone from Liberia" from entering sounds great for the cameras but will it halt the spread of Ebola to the U.S. or even reduce the chance? Probably not.
You’ve been Added!
“Newbie provocateur”
And that makes my comment any less valid?
Look, instead of talking to the cameras, Cruz should be organizing fellow senators and representatives to reconvene Congress and to act where Obama has refused. Put legislation on his desk quarantining affected areas of Africa and anyone coming from their, directly or indirectly. Put legislation on his desk securing our border so we know exactly who is coming in, when, and carrying what. Put legislation on his desk prohibiting any end-run around laws to prevent anyone illegal to stay in the US or be released into the US. Etc. Cruz is a senator and needs to legislate, that is his elected role and if wants to prove worthy of being president, then he needs to do more than have just been elected to that role like the current White House occupant. This is also how Cruz can put GOPe on the spot to either sit on their hands or act.
you are naive....... Cruz can do nothing because Dingy Harry will not allow it.
Freepers love to bitch about Republicans always conveniently forgetting that it is a Democrat at the root
Six IF they're willing to dump a large chunk of their other patients...
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.