Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) sent a letter Thursday to the Federal Aviation Administration demanding answers to five questions about how the U.S. is working to prevent additional Ebola cases from entering the U.S.
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) speaks at the 2014 Values Voter Summit September 26, 2014 in Washington, DC. The Family Research Council hosting its 9th annual Values Voter Summit inviting conservatives to participate in a straw poll. (Mark Wilson/Getty Images)
Cruz, who says the agency should take precautions to prevent the spread of the deadly virus, submitted the following questions to FAA administrator Michael Huerta:
1. What training is currently provided to airline carriers and their crew members to identify the symptoms of infectious diseases, such as Ebola, before a passenger boards a flight?2. What specific action has the FAA taken since the first cases of the Ebola virus were reported in West Africa in March 2014?
3. Does the FAA intend to take any steps to limit or suspend air travel to countries that have experienced a significant Ebola outbreak?
4. Once a case has been confirmed will passengers receive notification that they traveled on the same flight as an Ebola patient?
5. Does your agency have any projections, studies or reports for how many additional Ebola cases may arrive in the United States due to air travel? If so, what additional steps is your agency taking to limit the spread of this infectious disease?
In a statement, the Texas senator additionally accused President Barack Obama of having an "unclear approach" to combatting the virus.
[sharequote align="center"]"Americans ... deserve specific answers to how the administration is addressing travel..."[/sharequote]
“Due to the Obama Administration's unclear approach to addressing the threat of the Ebola virus, Americans – particularly the Texans who have possibly been exposed – deserve specific answers to how the administration is addressing travel to and from the countries impacted by the disease,” Cruz said.
In his letter he added that “it is imperative that the FAA take every available precaution in preventing additional cases from arriving in the United States.”
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