Blakeman: Ebola Czar's Lack of Medical, Health Care, Infectious Disease Experience Bizarre & Troublesome

Press Release

Amid the spread of ebola in the United States -- Bruce Blakeman has already called for President Obama to stop commercial flights and passengers entering from ebola-striken West Africa nations. Kathleen Rice opposes stopping flights and passenger entry from this ebola striken region.

Bruce Blakeman, the Republican-Conservative-Independence nominee for the open congressional seat in New York's Fourth District, remarked at an event in North Bellmore earlier today that "it is bizarre and troublesome that President Obama has installed an ebola czar who doesn't have any medical, health care or even infectious disease experience."

"This appointment is both shocking and frankly tone deaf. We have an ebola health crisis on our hands. Putting a political appointee who has no medical background, no health care experience and no infectious disease control knowledge does little to reassure Americans who are increasingly losing confidence with the administration's Ebola strategy," Blakeman said.

Ron Klain, reported by multiple national media outlets, is a longtime political hand in Washington who had served as Chief of Staff to Vice Presidents Al Gore and Joe Biden…but has no medical or health care experience.

The White House has even admitted that Ronald Klain is "not a medical expert," but rather a political bureaucrat. (Source: White House Press Briefing of Press Secretary Josh Earnest, October 17, 2014)

"We don't need another of Obama's political hacks to preside over this dangerous health emergency. We need a medical expert to coordinate a response and reassure Americans…not a longtime Democrat political operative," Blakeman said.

Kathleen Rice has not weighed in on the President Obama's selection of an ebola czar.

"Will Kathleen Rice stand with me and our neighbors in demanding that the US finally put in qualified medical personnel to lead our nation's response to ebola in our country? Or will she stand by President Obama? Does she agree with his misguided selection of a political operative who's been at the center of some of the most partisan events over the past two decades?" Blakeman asked of his opponent.

The ebola crisis has again highlighted stark differences between the two candidates vying to be our next Member of Congress:

Blakeman has been part of the growing bipartisan call of federal lawmakers to ban commercial flights from ebola-strickn West African nations while the health crisis is controlled, calling such a ban "reasonable and timely."

Kathleen Rice has said she does not favor banning flights from West Africa:
"The problem with closing off travel from specific countries is so many people travel through other countries as well…[Banning flights from West Africa] wouldn't be as effective as some people are arguing." (Source: WCBS 880 Eye on Politics Interview 10/15/2014)

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