Ebola Information

The outbreak of the Ebola virus in Western Africa has produced illness in thousands of people and killed thousands more. In an age when people can travel from continent to continent in a matter of hours, so, too, can infectious diseases.  We must be especially cautious to prevent the spread of Ebola – and any other infectious disease – to the United States.

The occurrences in Texas of the first cases of Ebola diagnosed in the United States underscore the importance of commonsense preventative measures to reduce the likelihood of additional Ebola being introduced in our country.

The United States must insist on rigorous screening of any airline passengers traveling from nations where Ebola is present to prevent sick patients from entering the United States. In every case where Ebola is diagnosed in the U.S., public health officials at every level of government must work together to isolate the patient and monitor anyone with whom the patient might have come into contact while they were infectious.

If this current outbreak of Ebola is to be eradicated, we must stamp it out at its source in West Africa.  In September 2014, President Obama requested $1 billion to send 4,000 American troops to the region to help meet the urgent crisis there and prevent it from spreading further.

As chairman of the House Defense Appropriations Subcommittee, I had the obligation to thoroughly examine the Pentagon’s plans for Africa before releasing the funds. Several of my colleagues and I were provided with a comprehensive briefing by the Administration.  While I still have many questions about the safety and security of U.S. personnel, my questions and concerns about the Pentagon’s proposal were largely addressed and I agreed to release the funds.  

In the weeks and months ahead, we will work to ensure that our troops are well protected from the Ebola virus as well as from any groups that might be interested in harming our soldiers during this humanitarian mission.

The Centers for Disease Control and the New Jersey Department of Health have each made available useful fact sheets that contain important information about Ebola. You may access them at:

http://www.cdc.gov/vhf/ebola/resources/pdfs/Ebola-FactSheet.pdf

http://www.state.nj.us/health/cd/vhf/documents/ebola_faq.pdf

The health and well-being of the American people is of paramount importance. The federal government must take all necessary steps to prevent an outbreak of Ebola in the United States.