Sen. David Vitter doesn't want the $1 billion approved to fight the Ebola virus outbreak to be used unless he sees a more detailed plan on how the fight will be waged.
The Louisiana Republican, appearing Thursday on Fox News Channel's
"Your World with Neil Cavuto," voiced the opinion of many in his party who want to see such ideas as travel restrictions from affected West African countries implemented.
"I don't think we should give the president, relatively speaking, a blank check
— a billion dollars
— without having Congress far more involved … actively in the discussion," Vitter told Fox News.
The White House, he said, is "clearly not" in front of the problem. "This is something that there can be serious consequences regarding if we are not out front on this."
The government will be starting screening procedures this weekend at
five major airports where 90 percent of travelers from West Africa arrive. The plan includes taking passengers' temperatures as they get off planes and having them fill out a questionnaire.
But Vitter said that even that plan wouldn't have screened out
Thomas Eric Duncan, the Liberian man who died Wednesday in a Dallas hospital. Duncan was the first person diagnosed with Ebola inside the United States.
Duncan had filled out a questionnaire when leaving his native country that he had not had contact with an Ebola victim, even though he had. And he was exhibiting no symptoms, such as fever, when he arrived in the United States.
The testing plan strikes most people as "completely inadequate" and "laughable," Vitter said.
Though $1 billion has been approved for Obama's plan, various congressional committees have yet to approve all the spending.
The Wall Street Journal reports that only the money approved by all committees can be used, and as of Thursday, that amount was $100,000. Half of that already has been spent.
Some lawmakers have voiced concern over holding up funds in light of a serious epidemic.
"One thing we know about stopping pandemics is that time is of the essence," Sen. Chris Murphy, a Connecticut Democrat, said.
Dr. Anthony Fauci of the Centers for Disease Control told Fox News that imposing travel bans and other more stringent measures are unnecessary since there has been only one diagnosed case inside the United States.
Vitter disagreed.
"When there's 100, it's a little bit too late," he said.
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