Yesterday, Representative Tim Murphy (R-PA) had a chance to question CDC Director Dr. Tom Frieden during his Congressional testimony. If you thought Frieden would use the occasion to reassure the American public with regards to his intentions and capabilities, you would be very wrong. Instead, he presented a picture of a deeply flawed organization whose main purpose has been subjugated to international political considerations.
According to Murphy, he and Frieden had spoken earlier via telephone. In that conversation, Frieden reiterated the administration's position - there will be no travel restriction placed on people coming from Ebola stricken African nations. The reason, however, was something we haven't heard before: money.
Apparently Frieden, or perhaps someone within the administration, believes that enacting a travel ban would harm the economies of fledgling democracies in Africa. That's the priority.
Here's the exchange:
Notice that Frieden doesn't actually answer the question, but he never denies making the comments in the first place. I'd say it's probably safe to assume the remarks were made as Murphy describes. I'd also be willing to bet that - as Murphy seems to understand - this is not the kind of strategy that would come from the CDC Director. Managing the economies of nascent 3rd world democracies isn't exactly the CDC's central mission, so it's probably safe to assume that Frieden was repeating something he'd been told by someone further up the chain of command.
If you wonder who that might be, you're not alone.
Later in the day, Representative Steve Scalise followed up on exactly that question. He pointedly, repeatedly, asked Frieden if he'd had discussions with the White House regarding travel bans. His mumbling, stuttering, non-answer should tell you pretty much all you need to know.
So, it at least sounds like the Democrats in the Obama admin have considered a travel ban, but decided that economies of nations thousands of miles away are more important that the lives of American citizens here at home.
If that's true, it's not just incompetence.
It's not simply "a screw up."
It's a willful decision to jeopardize the safety of American civilians at the alter of foreign cash.
