Upton, Murphy Comment on Ongoing Ebola Outbreak Ahead of Thursday’s Hearing

[nitpicker]

Source: Energy and Commerce Committee (House)

Upton, Murphy Comment on Ongoing Ebola Outbreak Ahead of Thursday’s Hearing
October 16, 2014

CDC, NIH, and Texas Health Resources to Testify THURSDAY

WASHINGTON, DC – House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Fred Upton (R-MI) and Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations Chairman Tim Murphy (R-PA) released the following statements regarding the ongoing Ebola outbreak. The Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations will hold a hearing, Examining the U.S. Public Health Response to the Ebola Outbreak, this Thursday, October 16, at 12:00 p.m. in room 2123 of the Rayburn House Office Building.

“Ebola has been on the world's radar screen since March and yet the United States and the international community are still scrambling to stay ahead of and stop this outbreak. We remain gravely concerned about this ongoing threat and the committee will continue diligently investigating the response efforts and preparedness plans,” said Upton. “The stakes could not be any higher, and as I have said before, we cannot afford to look back at this point in history and say we could have done more.”

Murphy added, “Questions continue to emerge as this outbreak has continued, further heightening our concerns about the response and preparedness efforts both at home and abroad. Just a few weeks ago there was an urgent need to quickly stop the spread of Ebola in Africa, but now we also need to assure Americans that we are able to stop the spread here at home. There is no room for error when it comes to Ebola.”
(snip)

Read more: http://energycommerce.house.gov/press-release/upton-murphy-comment-ongoing-ebola-outbreak-ahead-thursday%E2%80%99s-hearing

[nitpicker]

1. Link to hearing page, testimony already posted

The GOP apparently is hearing calls to block persons from the three countries from flying to the US (even some implying a desire to ban all trans-Atlantic air travel into the US).

Airlines=commerce, so the House Committee on Energy and Commerce is hosting this one at noon:

http://energycommerce.house.gov/hearing/examining-us-public-health-response-ebola-outbreak

Probably to be carried on C-SPAN (local DC radio 90.1 FM) if not also elsewhere.

[nitpicker]

3. Boehner joins the call for travel bans

http://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/220909-boehner-white-house-should-consider-ebola-travel-ban

Boehner: WH should consider Ebola travel ban

By Elise Viebeck - 10/15/14 07:03 PM EDT

Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) said President Obama should “absolutely consider” banning travel from countries most affected by Ebola despite the White House's insistence that the option is off the table.

“A temporary ban on travel to the United States from countries afflicted with the virus is something that the president should absolutely consider along with any other appropriate actions as doubts about the security of our air travel systems grow,” Boehner said in a statement late Wednesday. “We will continue to press the administration for better information about what steps will be taken to protect the American people, including our troops, from this deadly virus.”

Boehner is the highest-ranking Republican to float the idea of an Ebola travel ban. The Obama administration argues the move would hamper the response effort in West Africa and by extension, put Americans more at risk.

Still, it's been hard for the White House to avoid the debate as polls show strong public support for flight bans. Republicans have taken up the cause en masse, using the administration's hesitancy to criticize the wider Ebola response.
(snip)

[BumRushDaShow]

2. ".. we could have done more.”

while your fellow GOP loons in Congress continue to slash and burn the (civilian) government budgets, including that of various HHS agencies. So time for a supplemental appropriation Upton? Think that would fly with Cruz?

[Demeter]

4. If Obama doesn't do this, the Democrats are toast

If they can stop the planes flying for 3 weeks due to 9/11, they can surely stop them for ebola, which is killing more people per day than 19 Saudis did.

[6000eliot]

5. I would prefer that the president listen to the advice of scientists

and experts in infectious disease rather than Fox News and the idiot Republicans in Congress.

[Demeter]

11. Which scientists? The ones that support his view, or the ones on the ground?

You don't think there are toadies among scientists and the quasi-scientists that inhabit the offices in government?

What kind of perfect world do you live in?

[Fred Sanders]

7. You are very, very, very wrong and the more per day argument...you were being sarcastic?

Listen to 6000eliot.

And it is more about the funding slashing GOP to blame the most...and is it really about the blame game this time also?

[greatlaurel]

8. Your post is wrong. There were 2,977 deaths on 9/11, 4,033 deaths from the current ebola outbreak.

So there are not more people dying from ebola everyday than the deaths that occurred on 9/11. The banning of flights from Africa is just ridiculous. Fear mongering about the scary African people is just plain wrong and accomplishes nothing unless, of course, you are trying to create panic, insight more racist bigotry and blame Obama.

Not one case has been documented from someone getting ebola from flying on a plane with an infected person. The nurse who flew on the US flight would not have infected anyone, as her viral load was very load at that early stage of the infection and there is no evidence that she had any issues such as vomiting during the flight.

While the ebola outbreak is very serious, we need less fear mongering and a lot more fact based actions on how to stop this outbreak.

[Demeter]

9. That we officially know about

and if you believe any number from any government, even ours, in this era of the Big and Bigger Lies, and Planned Propaganda, well, I just hope you are lucky, because you lost the smartness race.

(Unofficial Mensa motto: it is better to be lucky than smart.)

[Demeter]

10. There are scary germs in Africa, and now, on at least two other continents

The scary people are those that are in total denial about ebola and the clear and present danger it presents.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/1014919705

[6000eliot]

13. Oooh! Scary "African" germs!

[Fred Sanders]

16. If only they were European germs, those are the best kind of germs to have.

[greatlaurel]

17. You are mad, because you were caught in a ridiculous lie. Your view is dangerous to public health.

Following well established protocols will protect people. The problem for the nurses in Texas was that the hospital sent Mr. Duncan home the first time, then when he returned to the hospital, he was not immediately put in an isolation ward and the staff were not issued proper protective gear immediately. That is not a failure of the CDC, but a failure of the hospital administration to properly treat their patients and and protect their staff.

You are either falling for or following the right wing propaganda trying to whip people into hysteria about the ebola outbreak. The reason there is not a vaccine for this dread disease is because the right wing idiots in Congress have continually cut spending for the CDC and NIH preventing them from rapidly developing a vaccine for this disease and preventing research for hundreds of other diseases. Researchers all over the country are loosing grants from the CDC and NIH to do vital research.

[Demeter]

19. I am neither mad, nor angry

except at those who have some "revealed truth" to sell in the absence or complete overlooking of the reality on the ground. On either side of the spectrum.

And you are mistaken about "established protocols"....whose protocols? and are they working? It's far too early to be sure, but there are cases that apparently have slipped through the "protocols" already, according to the latest news.

I don't pay any attention to propaganda from the "GOP" or the "Democrats". Obama cured me of that.

And in this particular case, if you are not the least bit concerned, that's because you are either ignorant or incapable of taking in the information due to cognitive problems or a serious case of denial.

[ballyhoo]

22. Yep. I agree with you. Should have been done right away, whether

it has been a neocon plan all along or a reality, for it would show a PERCEIVED concern for the American people. Course, those scientists, the CDC, and the Texas hospitals have sure been good at showing their positions, if that is what you can call them. I am now wondering if I contact anything, I will rush to a hospital or just let my wife, a Georgetown RN, treat it herself.

[Fred Sanders]

6. The Panic Button comes with political payoff, fear is the greatest tool in a politicians toy box!

As Congress slumbers on yet another vacation and Obama is hard a work, it is only fear that would pull the closed doors open.

The Land of the Brave is full of cowards it seems clear enough now.

And where is the media whining about the "optics" of Obama on vacation, which they whine about always, and the optics of Congress on vacation?

This hearing is just a cover for the fact they are doing ducking their jobs and fucking the folks yet again and their equally lazy media buddies make cover and excuses for the all.

[6000eliot]

12. +1 Meeellion!

[sammy750]

15. And Gov. Perry on vacation in Europe during the crisis.

Just seems like Republicans are not concerned or don't care about the health of the people in this nation. Boehner has congress on another long vacation. He and Congress has done nothing this year. OPS, they have been picking up their paychecks.
We have both Congress and Senate just not working for the people.
The voters need to decide if they want this to continue, if not. defeat the Republicans who have continued to block and defund key projects and the CDC.

[sammy750]

14. Gov. Perry not invited to the committee meeting.

With Gov. Perry to blame for the Ebola crisis in Texas and he was not ask to explain why TX health care industry is not ready. Gov. Perry has been taking away tens of millions from caring for the sick and the health care industry in TX. He needs to explain his decisions to defund the hospitals.

[greatlaurel]

18. The GOP playbook is to create a crisis and blame the Democratic Party.

Great point sammy750. I did not know that Perry had been slashing healthcare funding in Texas. Thanks for the info! Do you have any local links for this? If not, I can always do a duckduckgo search.

[nitpicker]

20. Star chamber starting now

On C-SPAN.

[nitpicker]

21. Lifestyle trumps all for now

BUT if we don't see this off, that could alter.

If we say doubling time is 20 days: in the US 2 cases;

200 days= 2000 cases

400 days= 2M cases

[nitpicker]

23. Witnesses on now

Fridgen afraid of more spread in Africa

And thence to the US.

[nitpicker]

24. Nurse #1 to be moved to NIH

Per the House committee.