Representative Paul Cook reminds Americans,
“The first duty of the United States government is to keep Americans safe…”
Travel Ban from Ebola-Stricken Nations
From his
Washington D.C. office, Representative Paul Cook (R–Apple Valley) issued the
following statement regarding the West African Ebola epidemic:
The
situation in Dallas, where Thomas Duncan entered the United States after
contracting Ebola, has shown the clear and present danger that comes from
allowing travel from affected countries into the United States. Duncan has died
of Ebola, two American nurses have contracted the disease, and an unknown
number of Americans have been exposed to it.
The World Health Organization has said that
by December 2014, it expects as many as 10,000 new cases of Ebola in West
Africa every week. With thousands already dead and the prospect of tens of
thousands of new infections in the coming months, it’s only a matter of time
before another infected person flies into the United States. We must act now!
“All commercial flights originating in
Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone and travelling on to the United States must
end. Additionally, the U.S. must cease issuing visas to non-U.S. citizens
travelling from West African countries. We’ve seen how quickly and easily Ebola
can spread. America can’t afford to take chances with public health.
“Exceptions
can be made for American medical personnel flying to West Africa to fight the
disease, provided quarantine procedures are put in place for them on their
return to the United States. America has always led the fight to combat
diseases and should continue to do so, but non-humanitarian
travel to West Africa must end until the Ebola epidemic is contained.”