Obama Mulls Appointing Ebola 'Czar'
President Obama said Thursday that he was considering appointing an Ebola "czar" to lead the administration's fight against the disease.
Noting that his team of advisers was doing a commendable job, Obama said that many of them had to deal with other priorities also. He said that Centers for Disease Control director Thomas Frieden had to deal with the flu season and Monaco and national security adviser Susan Rice was working on the Islamic State militants.
"It may make sense for us to have one person ... so that after this initial surge of activity we can have a more regular process just to make sure we are crossing all the Ts and dotting all the Is," he said, reports the Associated Press.
Elaborating further, Obama said he spoke with Texas Gov. Rick Perry to ensure that Dallas and the state had the facilities to respond if more health workers contracted Ebola.
Obama also authorized the Pentagon to call up reserves and National Guard troops if required in the U.S. efforts in the fight against Ebola in West Africa.
However, he ruled out a travel ban from the Ebola-afflicted region of West Africa, saying that such a measure may be counterproductive as some travelers might attempt to enter the country by avoiding screening procedures. This could lead to increased Ebola cases, he said.
Some lawmakers have called for a travel ban from the West African countries to the U.S.
"You ought to look at least immediately suspending visas for non-U.S. nationals," GOP Rep. Steve Scalise of Louisiana told Obama administration officials at a House committee hearing Thursday, reports CNN.
