CBS "Face the Nation" - Transcript: Ebola Outbreak
Interview
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SCHIEFFER: The appointment of long-time Democratic political operative, Ron Klain, to be the country's new Ebola czar -- they don't call him that, they call him the person in charge of coordinating -- has not gotten much praise from Republicans. One person who heard testimony this week from the CDC, Congresswoman Marsha Blackburn, joins us now from Nashville.
Well, Congresswoman, Republicans all wanted a czar appointed and then the president appointed one and now you don't like him.
So why is that?
REP. MARSHA BLACKBURN (R), TENNESSEE: Well, Bob, I think that what we were hopeful was that we were going to have someone who had the experience not only from the medical community, but in emergency response that would be out there and help walk not only our nation, but the entire globe through this process.
You know, General Honore or former Senator Bill Frist would have been a much more appropriate type of appointee to address this.
I don't know Ron Klain's emergency response experience. Maybe the Bush-Gore recount qualified in that. And I think talking to constituents, so many people have said, you know, we didn't want somebody to give a spin, we want somebody to give us the facts. and that's what they were hopeful for.
SCHIEFFER: Let me just ask you this. Republicans, people in Congress have been very critical of the president. And yet, the Congress can't even break the gridlock long enough to confirm a surgeon general, which is supposed to be the top health office in the country.
I know that's what the confirmation process takes part...
BLACKBURN: Right.
SCHIEFFER: -- and place in the Senate. You're a member of the House.
BLACKBURN: Right.
SCHIEFFER: But give me your thoughts on that.
BLACKBURN: Yes, you know, I think that what you have in the House is bipartisan frustration with Harry Reid in the Senate. You know, we have 387 House-passed bills, 98 percent of them bipartisan, 298 of those bills veto-proof. And they're sitting on Harry Reid's desk.
And we find it very frustrating that the Senate has not been able to get the work done. We wish they would come back and that they would do that. It would help the country and it would get some things passed that need to be passed.
SCHIEFFER: All right, well, Congresswoman, thank you so much for giving us your side of it this morning.
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