Dennis Ross Wants to Ban Flights With Ebola-Impacted Nations

U.S. Rep. Dennis Ross, R-Fla., unveiled the Contain Ebola and Stop the Epidemic (CEASE) Act on Thursday. Rosss bill will stop commercial flights flying to and from West African nations impacted by Ebola until the threat from that disease is over.

President Obamas comments stating that its highly unlikely Ebola would reach our shores were completely wrong, Ross said on Thursday. Now, he is ignoring Congresss letter requesting the restriction of air travel from countries in West Africa that are experiencing an Ebola outbreak. This is why I plan to introduce legislation that bans air travel, and also suspends the issuance of visas for travel, to the United States from countries affected by the Ebola outbreak. These bans will be lifted when the outbreak is declared to be contained and no longer a threat. I feel that discontinuing air travel is an obvious first step solution to combating Ebola in the United States. Its frightening that our commander in chief presumes that Ebola will not spread in the United States and is only taking delicate precautions. Ebola has a death rate of 50 percent. How can you ignore this fact, and take a gambit with American lives by allowing people to travel to and from countries where the virus is quickly spreading?

Now that two of our health care workers have contracted the virus I am putting my foot down, Ross added. This legislation is a more serious approach to preventing Ebola from further infiltrating our homeland. Airport security screening is a complete smoke and mirror approach to the virus and Americans arent buying it. I urge my colleagues to sign onto this legislation and hope Speaker Boehner will quickly call Congress back into session to debate my legislation.