Sheila Jackson Lee Blames GOP for Ebola, Claims They Cut Funding to CDC and NIH

"I make the argument that the Centers for Disease Control, that they are the vital organ of this health infrastructure, and doctor -- the head of it, Dr. Frieden has been a very good leader. But what I am concerned about and really frustrated is that we didn’t take this initial encounter in Dallas at the level that it should have been.

 The county officials have been excellent, but the infrastructure of the Texas Presbyterian and understanding what was happening to Mr. Duncan, did not translate to those front liners, those nurses and techs and others, and that is unfair to them. So I’m very frustrated with that. I will also say that CDC suffers from the continued gridlock in Washington and Republicans not funding fully. Even though the fight against Ebola is bipartisan, CDC has suffered in its funding along with NIH. If we ever get called back to Washington early that’s what we should be called back for, and I would certainly join to do that. We need those resources.

So my offer is this. I believe there should be a coming together of homeland security and the CDC, and the NIH in this instance, particularly FEMA, which is utilized during emergency situations, and they should be on the ground training at selected hospitals across America. I also think that there should be continued calls to nurses for training on protocol."