Byrne Supports Travel Ban to Protect Americans from Ebola

Congressman Bradley Byrne (AL-1) today made clear his support for a temporary ban on travel to the United States from west Africa to help protect Americans against the spread of the Ebola virus.

Many Members of Congress, including House Speaker John Boehner, have spoken out about their support for a temporary ban on flights from west African countries, including Sierra Leone, Liberia, and Guinea. Some officials from the medical community have also called for a ban on air travel.

While he supports a temporary travel ban, Congressman Byrne cautioned that the travel ban alone will not be enough.  Congressman Byrne also supports continued and expanded screenings at US airports, greater training of medical professionals nationwide and the use of special isolation units to treat Ebola patients.

Byrne said: “The Ebola outbreak in west Africa is a humanitarian and national security crisis that calls for serious measures. President Obama should be doing more to address this outbreak, and he should start by placing a temporary ban on flights into the United States from west Africa. A travel ban would help to halt new cases of Ebola from entering our country and allow our medical community to focus on stopping the spread based on the current cases.

“That said, a travel ban alone won’t be enough to protect the American people from the spread of Ebola. We must continue to implement intensive screenings of air passengers to limit the spread and quarantine any potential cases. We should also only treat Ebola patients at one of the four special isolation facilities in the United States where they can receive the best and most secure care possible.

“As I have said before, I strongly condemn the use of US military personnel to address the Ebola outbreak in west Africa. Our military men and women are stretched too thin already with multiple threats of Islamic extremists in the Middle East and in Africa. Our military is not adequately trained for these medical missions, and there are better suited organizations, like the World Health Organization (WHO) and United Nations (UN), to address this unique medical challenge.

“My heart breaks for all of the families in Africa and here in the United States who have been harmed by this deadly virus, and I want to see real leadership and serious action to ensure that more lives are not lost.”