McFadden urges travel limits to prevent Ebola spread
Republican U.S. Senate candidate Mike McFadden says he believes the country is ill-prepared to handle an outbreak of the Ebola virus.
McFadden outlined his plan Thursday for preventing the spread of Ebola in the U.S. The plan includes a temporary ban on travel from West Africa and increased staffing at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to respond directly to concerned citizens. McFadden also wants President Obama to designate a cabinet member to coordinate the federal response.
“This is a very, very, very serious issue. I’m asked about it repeatedly on the campaign trail," McFadden said. "It’s the number one question that I have been getting. I believe the number one objective of the federal government is to keep our citizens safe.”
McFadden criticized Democratic Sen. Al Franken and Obama for lack of action on the “escalating threat of Ebola.”
CDC Director Tom Frieden said Thursday he's confident in the ability of the U.S. health care system to fight Ebola. He responded to GOP criticisms of the government's actions during a Capitol Hill hearing.
Franken also says he's working on the issue. His campaign spokesperson, Alexandra Fetissoff, said that work includes efforts to get Ebola screening at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport and support for new legislation to boost federal efforts to fight Ebola.
“Of course the government should be doing everything it can to fight the spread of Ebola in Africa and make sure we stop it in its tracks here in the U.S., and if more call center staff is what we need then we're for it,” Fetissoff said.
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