Cassidy Urges Obama Administration to Act on Ebola

Press Release

Today, Congressman Bill Cassidy (R-LA) is urging President Obama to take immediate action to prevent further Ebola outbreaks. Dr. Cassidy is calling on the President to put forth a transparent plan that includes a commercial travel ban between the U.S. and all countries affected by Ebola and for health care providers from the U.S. and elsewhere to put protocols in place.

Dr. Cassidy is calling on the administration to immediately take the following actions:

-Immediately impose a commercial travel ban with all countries affected by Ebola

-Quarantine all individuals with or suspected of being infected with Ebola until testing rules out infection

-Immediately send American public health experts to train community public health workers in the countries affected

-Provide more transparency from the CDC on how the agency and the administration are protecting troops and medical personnel deployed in the affected countries

-Provide more transparency from the CDC on how the agency is ensuring American nurses and hospital workers are properly trained to implement necessary procedures and guidelines

-Improve and enhance the screening processes and procedures currently in place

-Ensure border agents are looking for individuals who have been in affected areas or who show signs of illness

-Monitor and track all contacts of patients currently diagnosed

-Better coordinate the response with other countries

-Ensure that only qualified and willing public health personnel are sent to the effected countries

Dr. Cassidy offered the following statement:

"As evidenced by the Ebola cases in Dallas, the President's response to Ebola has been ineffective, and placed the health and safety of our nation at risk. The President's feckless leadership is posing an immediate danger. We must take every preventative measure to keep Louisiana families healthy and prevent Ebola from spreading. The President was wrong when he said it was unlikely that Ebola would reach the U.S.-- several Americans have been diagnosed with Ebola. In addition to other preventative measures, we must stop commercial flights between the U.S. and countries affected by Ebola and ensure health care providers from the U.S. and elsewhere put protocols in place. I will continue to push the Obama Administration to have a comprehensive plan of action to protect Louisiana families."

Previously, Dr. Cassidy joined a bipartisan letter to CMS and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) urging for the implementation of stronger travel restrictions and safeguards between countries in West Africa impacted by Ebola and the U.S.

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