President Barack Obama is being pressed by two Republican lawmakers to name an Ebola czar to handle the growing international health crisis and prevent an outbreak in the United States.
Sen. Jerry Moran of Kansas and Rep. Frank Wolf of Virginia have written to the president urging him to offer the position to a respected “statesman,”
The Washington Post reports.
In the letter, they suggested three former Cabinet officials from the George W. Bush administration for the post — former secretary of state Colin Powell, former defense secretary Robert Gates, and former health and human services secretary Mike Leavitt. Gates also worked for the Obama administration.
Moran and Wolf said that “well-respected former administration officials with a background in public health and international diplomacy” would be perfect for the position.
Wolf said in an interview that America’s reaction to the Ebola crisis should have “a public face” that is trusted by both Americans and world leaders, according to The Post.
White House press secretary Josh Earnest said that Lisa Monaco, a homeland security adviser, is already in charge of “interagency response” while dealing with the Ebola situation.
Earnest added that U.S. public health officials “continue to be confident that the risk of an Ebola outbreak in the United States is exceedingly low. Okay?”
But Wolf said the job needs a person who can call a foreign leader and be put right through, The Post reports.
Republicans have attacked the White House handling of the crisis and are making it a campaign talking point, while demanding stricter travel limits on visitors to the United States from West Africa.
After meeting with health officials involved in attempting to
prevent an outbreak of Ebola in the U.S., Obama said Monday his administration was working on protocols for screening airplane passengers to identify people with Ebola symptoms and would step up efforts to make medical professionals aware of how to handle a case.
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