Here is the link at whitehouse.gov for a citizens position to stop travel to and from infected areas:
Here is the response I got from Senator Angus King. Maybe we should send Congress to the infected areas!
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Dear BG,
The ongoing Ebola crisis in West Africa is of grave concern and I am pleased that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), United States Agency for International Development (USAID), Department of Defense (DOD), and Department of State are working in tandem with our international partners to stop the spread of this terrible virus and ensure those infected can get the treatment they need.
I agree with the decision to bring Americans infected with Ebola back to the United States to be treated. These patients were transported under full quarantine to facilities that are best poised to treat them and there has been no spread of the disease from these patients who were diagnosed before being brought into the country. As it is not an airborne virus like influenza or smallpox, there is less of a risk of an outbreak within the United States where modern medical facilities are widely accessible. Nevertheless, the CDC does have protocols in place to deal with the unlikely event that such an outbreak occurs; information on their efforts is available here:
http://www.cdc.gov/vhf/ebola/.
As you may be aware, the U.S. Department of State has issued an advisory against non-essential travel to the affected African nations and is providing travelers with guidance to reduce the potential spread of the virus. From what I have learned from contagious disease experts, travel bans or other immigration restrictions on entrance to the U.S. would not be effective in reducing infection rates and could potentially make the situation in Africa worse by limiting the flow of medical supplies and qualified personnel to disease hotspots. I am glad to see that airport passenger screening measures are being enhanced; my staff and I will continue to follow travel concerns and the recommendations of experts closely as the response effort unfolds.
I also respect people's concerns about sending U.S. military personnel to West Africa to help combat the spread of the virus and I agree that the safety of our troops is of utmost importance; however, at this time the DOD is taking every precaution to prevent our servicemembers from coming in direct contact with infected patients. Only a very select few – who are specially trained to work in the most dangerous environments – will be stationed at testing centers. The primary focus of this mission will be logistics. From the U.S.'s command center in Monrovia, Liberia, we will be able to better leverage the unique capabilities and expertise of our Armed Forces to improve the coordination of an effort that has previously been rife with disorganization. In the end, it seems to me that fighting Ebola there—at its source—is highly preferable to fighting it here after an outbreak takes hold.
Thank you for your message; please feel free to contact me in the future if I can be of service to you.
Best Regards,
ANGUS S. KING, JR.
United States Senator
I am not able to read or respond to replies to this address. If you would like to be in contact with me further, please do not reply to this message, but instead go to
http://www.king.senate.gov/contact. And, if you're ever in Washington D.C. when the Senate is in session, please stop by my Capitol Coffee hour from 9-10 AM on Wednesdays in Dirksen 359. Thanks, Angus.
