Rep Dennis Ross (R-Round the Bend) is a man of action. And he has the toolbox to make things happen. So, the minute this here election is over, he's returning to Congress with an emergency bill in his briefcase to save Americans from Ebola.
Rep Ross agrees with his colleagues that a travel ban is the way to go (because a big plastic bubble over the country would take too much time to roll out). Doctors, epidemiologists and international experts have traveled to Congress to give their advice -- that travel bans won't help and could make things worse -- but, Republicans, being Republicans aren't buying it because . . . . well, aren't doctors and experts usually elites trained in liberal universities? and doesn't Obama hope that we're all too sick to stop his world conquest?
For whatever reason, Republicans have decided that they know best and should therefore take charge. So, they wrote a letter to the President to apprise him of the fact that they are taking the lead on Ebola -- as soon as the election is over. So far, 53 Republicans and six Democrats, who might as well be, have joined up.
More below the squiggle . . .
Rep Ross (R-FL) got himself on MSNBC this morning to let Americans know that Republicans are going to save them . . . as soon as the election is over.
I believe we can nip this in the bud, if you will, at least by banning those flights temporarily until such time as the [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] believes the epidemic is under control and also make sure we don't issue visas to travelers from over there. We have a good border patrol, believe it or not, and they can catch these people with fake passports and fake visas as they come across the border. It just seems to me we ought to have the debate on this and flush this out and that's why I filed the bill to allow for the banning of these flights.
Despite what the experts say, that could work, except for one thing: there are no direct flights that come to the United States from West Africa, as New York Times reporter Jeremy W. Peters pointed out to the congressman.
Rep Ross apparently didn't enjoy being caught flat-footed and immediately pivoted to snark:
Then we don't have any problem. Everybody's contained, correct? They are not. They are traveling. They are traveling.
"It will not solve the problem," he added of his bill. "It is a step in the right direction."
I guess . . . especially if we wind up having to roll out that big plastic bubble.
Watch Rep Ross go off around the 2:15 mark. And get a load of his face after his rant when they show the whole panel. Bet that's the last time Dennis Ross goes to MSNBC.