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Texas Republicans raise concerns about federal Ebola response

Senate Minority Whip John Cornyn, R-Texas, center, and GOP lawmakers speak to reporters after a Republican caucus meeting, at the Capitol in Washington on May 6, 2014. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

updated at 3:51 p.m. with comment from HHS.

WASHINGTON — Texas Republicans are demanding answers from the Health and Human Services Administration about how existing public resources were used to combat the Ebola outbreak.

In a letter sent Friday, Sens. John Cornyn and Ted Cruz — joined by all 24 Texas Republicans in the U.S. House — raise concerns that new Ebola cases emerged on U.S. soil despite the department’s funding for public health crises.

According to the letter, a 2013 law gave nearly $1.4 billion to “public health preparedness and response activities,” part of it to support efforts in Dallas and other metropolitan cities.

“[I]t is especially troubling to witness the federal government’s communications missteps and confusion about protocols knowing that a wide range of federal resources have already been in place for years,” the lawmakers write.

In a statement Friday afternoon, HHS said it looks forward to responding to the letter.

“HHS values working with members of Congress on this important public health matter,” spokesman Bill Hall said.

National Ebola protocols came under scrutiny after two Dallas health care workers contracted the disease while treating an Ebola patient. The patient, Thomas Eric Duncan, died but the two nurses, Nina Pham and Amber Vinson, have been declared Ebola-free.

Labeling Dallas “ground zero” for the first Ebola case, the Texas lawmakers say it’s necessary to understand how the U.S. government has applied its resources before charting a path forward.

In their letter, they tick through a number of requests to HHS Secretary Sylvia Burwell, including an explanation of how policies under a 2006 law are helping to contain and treat the disease.

That law created the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response, a position whose responsibilities Texas lawmakers also want detailed.

Ebola lobbying hits Washington

WASHINGTON — Ebola lobbying is going viral in Washington.

Over July through September, more than 15 groups cited the disease in lobbying reports filed with the Secretary of the Senate’s Office of Public Records. The organizations include drugmakers, hospitals and health professional associations, according to the Center for Responsive Politics, which noted the lobbying trend.

Cerus Corporation, which is seeking compassionate use approval of its anti-viral blood treatment technology, has spent $20,000, the reports indicate. Zimek Technologies, which has touted its disinfecting system for hospital rooms, also shelled out $20,000.

Another company, Hemispherx BioPharma, brought on the firm Squire Patton Boggs to “to bring our experimental drug Ampligen and FDA approved drug Alferon online as potential therapeutics for Ebola,” according to a statement provided to Politico.

Last month, Congress approved $88 billion for Ebola drug research as part of a short-term spending bill. There aren’t any drugs or vaccines approved to treat the disease in the U.S., but several experimental drugs have been used.

Another company, Sanford Health, has been lobbying on “issues related to [the] Ebola outbreak, including education, research and funding needed for treatment,” according to the filings.

Other organizations that listed Ebola in the reports include Sarepta Therapeutics, which is pushing for fast-track approval of its experimental Ebola treatment, and ONE Action, U2 singer Bono’s advocacy group.

 

 

Ebola: White House sees NJ quarantine as deterrent for doctors and nurses to volunteer in West Africa

WASHINGTON — The Obama administration is concerned that quarantining health care workers returning from stints in the Ebola zone of West Africa — as New Jersey did with nurse Kaci Hickox — will deter badly needed volunteers.

“We’re going to need doctors and nurses traveling to West Africa to treat Ebola patients,” said White House press secretary Josh Earnest.

He referred to state actions “in some cases outright disrespecting” health care workers who’ve put themselves at risk by working with Ebola patients in Africa.

“Stopping this Ebola outbreak in its tracks in West Africa is critically important… The likelihood of a widespread outbreak in this countr of Ebola is exceedingly low,” he said.

He noted that under the United States’ federal system, state and local authorities have the authority to take steps to protect the public health of their citizens. And that could lead to a patchwork of rules facing travelers – including health workers.

If anyone doesn’t like that, Earnest said, “Take that up with James Madison” — a suggestion that prompted one member of the White House press corps to note, “He’s not here.”

The sight of Hickox in an isolation tent in a parking lot next to a hospital in Newark, N.J., clearly bothered some Americans and many at the White House, Earnest said.

“What we hope… is that these kinds of policy decisions should be driven by science,” Earnest said — simultaneously working to avoid a direct condemnation of N.J. Gov. Chris Christie’s actions while also making clear the administration’s disdain. He focused on the point of agreement: the state’s decision earlier today, in coordination with CDC, to release Hickox from isolation.

“I’m not steeped in New Jersey quarantine law,” Earnest said, declining to  weigh in on whether Hickox is correct in her assertions that by being detained in a tent for three days, without any symptoms of Ebola, her rights had been violated.

Cornyn and Alameel spar over immigration, marriage, abortion in Senate debate

Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, left, and Democratic challenger David Alameel greet each other at the start of their debate at Mountain View College campus in Dallas tonight. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

WASHINGTON – Sen. John Cornyn portrayed himself Friday night as an agent of change in Washington, as rival David Alameel blasted him for blocking immigration reforms while kowtowing to Wall Street.

This was the first and only debate of the contest, as Cornyn seeks a third term and Alameel claws for traction.

With Univision as the debate host, a hefty chunk of the questioning was aimed at immigration policy – an area of especially clear disagreement.

Cornyn, who has long resisted legalization for the 11 million people in the country illegally, called himself a “strong supporter of immigration reform.”  He agreed that young people brought to the country illegally by their parents – the so-called “Dreamers” – should be eligible for college aid.

But he called it politically impossible to pass a so-called “comprehensive” overhaul, and argued for taking smaller steps with broader support.

“I wouldn’t hold my breath for Republicans to offer you any immigration reform,” Alameel said.

The vast majority of immigrants have been in this country for years, breaking no laws and working hard. They “deserve a path to citizenship,” he said.

Cornyn proposed a flexible cap on immigrant visas, fluctuating with the U.S. economy and needs of employers.

“Of course we need to increase quotas” Alameel shot back, adding that this sidestepped the core issue, citizenship. Without that, he said, “It will take us a hundred years to give the relief that our Latino community deserves.”

The debate, at Mountain View College in Dallas, offered Alameel a rare shot at making headway against an incumbent with a huge edge in name identification and fund-raising. He labeled Cornyn a “do nothing senator. Our country burns while Cornyn fiddles.”

These and other barbs may not be seen widely enough to make much difference. The Dallas Univision station and Texas Tribune streamed the debate live online. Univision viewers can watch the debate in Spanish on Saturday night. C-Span will broadcast it Wednesday night in English.

Cornyn, the No. 2 GOP leader in the Senate, portrayed Alameel as a potential reinforcement for Democrats in the final two years of the Obama administration.

“What we need is new leadership and a new direction. We don’t need people who will go to Washington and support the status quo—the obstruction of the majority leader and the policies of the president,” Cornyn said.

Alameel asserted that Wall Street interests control the Republican Party and “John Cornyn is one of the leaders of that establishment, who only care about themselves….He’s turning our country into a minimum wage nation and we say enough is enough.”

They disagreed on a host of issues.

Cornyn called it “dangerous” to make marijuana legal, even for medical purposes. Alameel argued for full decriminalization. “Having prohibition didn’t work,” he said.

Cornyn reiterated his dim view of the Affordable Care Act. Alameel called Obamacare “a good step in the right direction” and argued that “Republicans have to stop saying no” and should work to improve it.

Both rivals called it a bad idea to make English the nation’s official language, though unlike Cornyn, Alameel said government documents should be offered in a variety of languages to ensure that people who haven’t learned English aren’t “abandoned.”

On the Ebola crisis, Alameel agreed with calls coming mostly from Republicans in Congress – and a few Democrats – for a travel ban on West Africa. “Yes,” he said, “we need to restrict flying. In any epidemic you have to restrict the flow in and out of that affected area.”

Both noted the lack of preparedness by Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas.

“There was no leadership from the White House and from the federal government,” Cornyn said.

Alameel also worries about lack of preparations.  ”If we have an epidemic, the first nine patients will be taken care of, and the other 100,000 will die,” he said.

Alameel was asked about the $15,000 or so he donated to Cornyn a decade ago.

“This is one terrible mistake I have to live with,” he said.

Cornyn wasn’t about to let his rival off the hook so easily. “He was an enthusiastic supporter of mine and Gov. Perry… and Republicans up and down the ticket.” he said.

On the president’s handling of the Islamic State terror group, Cornyn blasted the refusal to put American “boots on the ground.” Alameel lauded the president for bombing ISIS but warned that “we don’t need to create another big war.”

Social issues offered more bright lines.

Cornyn defended Texas’ tough law imposing requirements that forced most of the state’s abortion clinics to close. Alameel said that as a Catholic he doesn’t believe in abortion but wants them to be legal and available.

On same-sex marriage, Cornyn said that “I am pro-traditional marriage” and wants the federal government to respect Texas’ views that marriage should only be between a man and a woman.

Said Alameel, “We should move on from these divisive issues.”

Staff writer Michael Marks contribute to this report.

Congress questions Ebola response

Witnesses are sworn in before testifying on the Ebola outbreak today before the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. (J. Scott Applewhite/AP)

Update 12:45

The hearing has concluded.

Issa closed by emphasizing the need to fight Ebola in West Africa.

“There is no way that every American is going to place themselves in a hazmat suit from morning until night. We will have to go to the source,” he said. “This disease will not be eradicated if we wait until it comes to our shore.

Update 12:30:

Mica called for Lurie’s resignation, citing a lack of “preparedness” on the part of agencies responsible for responding to the Ebola outbreak.

“Somebody needs to see that we are prepared,” Mica said. “You told me that you’re responsible for preparedness.”

Mica pointed out an internal report by the DHS which said that the agency was unprepared to deal with pandemics. The report said that poor auditing practice had left the agency without a true sense of its ability to respond to emergencies.

Lurie, who works for the Department of Health and Human Services, said that she has doesn’t authority over DHS practices and policies.

Update 12:15:

After Rep. Justin Amash (R-Mich.) beat the drum for a travel ban, Rep. John Mica (R-Fla.) offered another solution: quarantine anyone coming from West Africa.

“People need to be quarantined coming out of those countries. You don’t need a travel ban, you need to go to the people who pose a risk,” Mica said.

On Tuesday, the Department of Homeland Security announced new screening standards for anyone coming from West Africa. Those passengers will now be routed through one of five major airports for additional screening, and they will be monitored for 21 days after their arrival.

Mica said the fact that that Spencer made it through the additional screening and was later diagnosed with Ebola shows that the new measures are not working.

“The testing at the airport is not working. We need a quarantine in place,” he said.

But a quarantine could make it even more difficult to recruit healthcare workers to West Africa, according to Rabih Torbay, senior vice president of International Medical Corps.

Torbay said that his organization is already struggling to get doctors and nurses to come to West Africa. Adding an additional three-week quarantine to their period of service would make it even harder.

Update 11:40:

Houston Republican Blake Farenthold, the lone Texan on the committee, questioned whether building hospitals for Ebola patients was a job for the U.S. military.

“Traditionally, the military’s job has been to protect this country with guns and bombs,” Farenthold said. “Is this really what the military was designed for?”

Farenthold said that the task seemed more appropriate for a group like the Peace Corps, or a private contractor.

Update 11:30:

It took nearly three hours, but travel restrictions for people coming from West Africa have been discussed.

“I don’t understand why we don’t put a travel restriction in place,” said Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah).

Chaffetz also called for anyone who has been to West Africa to be isolated for 21 days before coming to America — the maximum incubation period for the Ebola virus.

Matthew Duckworth, a Pennsylvania Democrat, supported Chaffetz’s idea.

Troops in West Africa will be monitored for symptoms of Ebola for 10 days before they return to the U.S. Once they return stateside, they will be checked for symptoms twice a day on base for 21 days, but will be allowed to go about their normal schedules otherwise.

Duckworth asked Major General James Lariviere, the DOD deputy director for political-military affairs in Africa, why the troops couldn’t be monitored for 21 days in West Africa.

“Why couldn’t you be a little more careful with the plan, a little more overboard with the protection and extend the in-country waiting period to 21 days?” he asked.

Lariviere said that the DOD’s plan follows protocols established by the Centers for Disease Control and Protection.

Update 11:10:

Rep. Trey Gowdy (R-SC) railed against President Obama’s appointment of Klain, arguing that the job should have gone to someone with a medical background instead of an attorney and political operative.

“Why in the hell did the president pick a lawyer to be the Ebola czar?” he asked Lurie.

Gowdy said that Lurie, given her record as a health professional, would have been better suited for the post than Klain. Lurie steadfastly supported Obama’s choice.

“I have a lot of confidence in Mr. Klain,” she said. “There are a tremendous number of doctors that he has it his disposal.

Gowdy didn’t buy it.

“Color me cynical, it just appears political,” he said. “The next time there’s an opening on the Supreme Court, I want you to see whether the president considers a doctor or a dentist for that job.”

Update 10:40:

Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio peppered Lurie with questions about the NIH budget. The NIH is a branch of the Department of Health and Human Services.

Jordan cited NIH expenses that he saw as frivolous, including:

  • $374,000 on “fruit and vegetable puppet shows”
  • $53,000 for a study on sighs
  • $2 million to encourage elderly people to join choirs
“Couldn’t that have been used for something like Ebola and a potential vaccine?” Jordan asked.
Lurie said that the NIH is currently supporting studies on two vaccines, but added that the “development of vaccine is a long and complicated process.”
Jordan questioned whether those vaccines might be further along had the NIH not spent money on programs like nutrition-themed puppet shows.
“I don’t believe that would be the case,” Lurie responded.

Update 10:10 a.m.:

Rep. John Tierney, a Massachusetts Democrat, just read that Pham had been declared “Ebola-free,” by the National Institutes of Health. Later today, she will be released by the NIH facility in Bethesda, Maryland, where she was being treated. The NIH will hold a press conference at 10:30 a.m. CT today to discuss the news.

Original post:

WASHINGTON — The House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, chaired by Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) met this morning for a hearing on the federal government’s response to the Ebola outbreak in West Africa and the U.S.

In his opening statement, Issa said that even though the U.S. has the resources to prevent the spread of Ebola, they haven’t been properly deployed.

“I think we all know that the system is not yet refined to where we could say it is working properly,” he said.

Issa also criticized President Obama for appointing Ron Klain as the Ebola response coordinator, or so-called “Ebola czar.” Issa said that Klain doesn’t have the credentials for the job.

“In my opinion it shows that this administration has on one hand recognized the missteps, and on the other hand is not prepared to put a known leader in charge, or in fact a medical professional in charge,” Issa said.

In West Africa, nearly 5,000 people have died from Ebola during the current outbreak, according to the World Health Organization. Four people have contracted the disease in the U.S.

The most recent U.S. Ebola case was discovered yesterday in New York City when Craig Spencer, a 33-year-old doctor who had treated Ebola patients in Guinea, was diagnosed with the disease.

Witnesses at the hearing emphasized the need to contain the disease in West Africa in order to stop it from spreading around the world.

“We are extremely serious in our focus on protecting America’s health security. The best way to do that is to support the response to the Ebola epidemic in West Africa,” said Dr. Nicole Lurie, the assistant secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services.

The Department of Defense will send 3,200 troops to West Africa in the next few days to build Ebola treatment centers. The contingent will include 500 troops from Fort Bliss in El Paso.

Rep. Michael Turner, an Ohio Democrat, said he was “very skeptical” of the DOD protocols to prevent troops from contracting Ebola in West Africa.

Assistant Secretary of Defense Michael Lumpkin told Turner that there’s little risk of troops in West Africa catching the virus. He said that the mission will focus on fixing logistical problems, not treating patients.

“Direct patient care of Ebola-exposed patients in West Africa is not a part of the DOD mission,” Lumpkin said. “There is no higher operational priority than protecting our Department of Defense personnel.”

Deborah Burger, co-president of nurses’ union National Nurses United, blasted Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas for its procedures in treating Liberian Ebola victim Thomas Eric Duncan. Two of the nurses who treated Duncan, Nina Pham and Amber Vinson, contracted Ebola.

“This is what happens when guidelines are inefficient,” Burger said.

The union was well-represented at the hearing, its members wearing red stickers reading “I am Nina Pham.”

Burger called for an executive order or congressional action to bolster equipment and training standards for frontline healthcare workers. She cited a nationwide survey of over 300,000 nurses, 85 percent of whom said that they were “not adequately trained” to treat Ebola patients.

Ebola: President Obama speaks with Dallas healthcare workers

Cole Edmonson, chief nursing officer at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas, speaks to President Obama, who called from The White House to offer words of encouragement and support to a team of caregivers today. (photo courtesy Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas)

WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama today spoke with several “frontline healthcare workers” at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital in Dallas, including some who cared for Ebola patients.

“The President thanked the healthcare workers for their unflagging dedication and for their tireless efforts to treat these patients despite the difficult conditions,” according to a White House aide. “More broadly, he also noted that our nation’s doctors, nurses, lab technicians, and other healthcare staff work long hours under stressful conditions, and are absolutely indispensable.”

Two nurses from Presbyterian Hospital are being treated for Ebola, at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Md., and at Emory University Hospital in Atlanta. Both had treated Thomas Eric Duncan, the Liberian who died of Ebola on Oct. 8.

Seen through the window of the Oval Office, President Obama gets an update on Ebola in Dallas from Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Burwell on Oct. 12. (AP/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

The president will meet later this afternoon with his new Ebola “czar,” Ron Klain. But meanwhile, he wanted to reach out to Dallas healthcare workers.

“He offered his personal thanks to this group on behalf of a grateful nation,” the aide said.

Obama sends White House aide to Dallas to coordinate Ebola response

White House aide Adrian Saenz

WASHINGTON –The president is dispatching a top aide to Dallas to coordinate Ebola response.

Adrian Saenz, a seasoned political operative from Texas who has worked in Congress and, for the last 13 months, at the White House will serve as the administration’s Dallas-based liaison.

“Saenz will be on the ground in Dallas and in close coordination with senior White House officials involved in the Ebola response, including Ron Klain, the Ebola Response Coordinator,” a White House aide said.

The deployment helps to “fulfill the president’s pledge that state and local authorities are able to call upon any and all necessary federal resources,” he added.

Saenz joined the White House staff in September 2013 as deputy director of Intergovernmental Affairs, leading a team that works with state and local officials. In the 2012 Obama campaign he served as National Latino Vote Director. He was Texas state director for the Obama campaign during the 2008 primary. In 2006 he was national field director for the Democrats’ U.S. House campaign arm. He was a top immigration strategist at Organizing for America, the group that evolved from the Obama campaign apparatus, before joining the administration.

In Congress, he served as chief of staff to then-Rep. Ciro Rodriguez, D-San Antonio, and in other roles.

In other measures, the White House also is naming a Texas coordinator for Ebola response “to ensure we adequately leverage appropriate state-level assets.” Gov Rick Perry has selected W. Nim Kidd, chief of the Texas Division of Emergency Management and Assistant Director, Texas Department of Public Safety, for that post.

The president also has named a FEMA coordinator, Kevin Hannes, to work with Kidd and ensure adequate federal assistance in Dallas. Hannes currently oversees FEMA operations in North Texas.

Dim views from Texas on Obama’s Ebola czar

WASHINGTON — President Obama’s decision today to name a so-called “Ebola czar” to oversee the federal response is drawing scathing reviews from many Texas Republicans — and some praise.

House Homeland Security Chairman Michael McCaul, R-Austin, called it “an important and necessary step to name an Ebola coordinator.” But he said, Ron Klain — a former chief of staff to Vice President Joe Biden, a job he also held under Vice President Al Gore — isn’t the right person.

McCaul noted that previous administrations had special advisers on biodefense policy with solid scientific and medical backgrounds. “While the president’s pick may have the ear of the White House and experience from the campaign trail, I am concerned he doesn’t have significant relationships in the medical community that are imperative during this current biological emergency,” McCaul said.

Sen. Ted Cruz blasted the choice entirely.

“We don’t need another so-called ‘czar,’ ” he said in statement. “We need presidential leadership. This is a public health crisis, and the answer isn’t another White House political operative. The answer is a commander in chief who stands up and leads, banning flights from Ebola-afflicted nations and acting decisively to secure our southern border.”

There is no evidence that Ebola has entered the United States through Mexico.

Cruz called for an emergency session of Congress to enact a flight ban.

House Energy and Commerce Chairman Fred Upton, R-Mich., echoed McCaul’s view. He wasn’t impressed by a czar without a medical background.

“What has been missing from this administration’s response to Ebola is not a new figurehead; what we need is a strategy to get ahead of this, and restore the public’s faith that they are safe,” he said.

 

 

Obama assures Gov. Perry that Texas will get whatever help it needs

President Obama points toward Dr. Tom Frieden, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as he speaks about the government’s Ebola response in the Oval Office Thursday night. (AP/Jacquelyn Martin)

WASHINGTON – President Obama said Thursday night that he spoke today with Gov. Rick Perry, assuring him that Texas and Dallas will have the resources needed to deal with Ebola, especially if more cases erupt.

He ruled out a travel ban on West Africa but said he would reconsider if infectious disease experts change their view on the idea.

“I don’t have a philosophical objection … if that is the thing that is going to keep the American public safe,” he told reporters after a lengthy Oval Office meeting with top advisers on the Ebola crisis.

He noted that with Amber Vinson at Emory University Hospital and fellow nurse Nina Pham heading tonight to the National Institutes of Health, “they are getting the best possible care.”

“Our heartfelt concern goes out to the two nurses… They courageously treated Mr. Duncan when he was in Dallas,” he said.

Obama noted that other health care workers at Presbyterian Hospital in Dallas are undergoing “constant monitoring.”

“We remain focused on the situation at Texas Presbyterian in Dallas,” the president said, adding that there “may have been problems in how protective gear was worn or removed” at the hospital.

And he discussed concerns about Vinson’s travel from Dallas to Cleveland and back shortly before her diagnosis. She had a low-grade fever on the flight back to Dallas.

“It’s very important for us to make sure that we are monitoring and tracking anyone who was in close proximity to this second nurse… to ensure there is not additional spread of the disease,” he said.

He also spoke about the situation with Ohio Gov. John Kasich, he said.

As for the travel ban, he said, the problem is that travelers from West Africa might try to hide their travel history and evade screening.

“We could end up having more cases rather than less,” he said. But he’ll keep demanding refinements in policy from his advisers and “if they come back to me and say that there are some additional things that we need to do, I assure you that we will do it.”

For now, he said, “A flat out travel ban is not the best way to go.”

Obama also said he may appoint a so-called Ebola “czar” to take some pressure off national security and public health aides with other duties.

He offered assurances that while health workers who deal with Ebola patients face escalated risk, the public does not.

“The risks involved remain relatively low – extremely low – for ordinary folks,” he said.

Burgess calls for travel ban, questions CDC director

WASHINGTON – After today’s House Energy and Commerce Committee hearing on Ebola, Lewisville Rep. Michael Burgess continued to call for a travel ban between the United States and West Africa.

Rep. Michael Burgess continued to call for travel restrictions from West Africa today. (Al Key/DRC)

Burgess noted that President Obama has the authority to impose such a ban, and there is plenty of public support.

“I don’t know who has the president’s ear on this,” he said. “Clearly the country wants it to occur.”

A poll released on Tuesday by the Washington Post/ABC News showed that two-thirds of Americans support a ban on travel from West Africa.

Burgess said that a travel ban would not preclude countries dealing with Ebola from receiving foreign aid.

“You can be very generous as far as foreign aid to those countries to try and help them deal with their crisis. It’s not an issue of cutting someone off,” he said.

If the president does not impose a travel ban, Burgess said that the House should consider voting on one when it reconvenes a month from now.

Burgess also challenged some of the choices by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention director Tom Frieden, but did not call for his resignation.

Burgess, himself a doctor, called the CDC the “most responsive” government agency he’s dealt with. But he also said that in the Ebola crisis, “we are in a war without a general.”

Burgess questioned Frieden’s decision not to immediately establish an “Ebola response team” in Dallas. Such a team is now working in Dallas, but on Tuesday, Frieden said that he wished “we had put a team like this on the ground the day the patient – the first patient – was diagnosed.”

“Here you have the first diagnosed case of Ebola in the United States of America, and you didn’t send our top team? I mean — that’s pretty jarring,” Burgess said.