Rep. Joe Barton (R-Ennis/Arlington) recently signed on as a co-sponsor of the Stop Ebola Act, written by Kenny Marchant (R-TX) and Sam Johnson (R-TX).
“This is not a foreign policy issue, this is not a civil rights issue; this is a public health issue and the US government has the responsibility to minimize the spread of this disease through whatever means necessary to protect the American public. I support my fellow Texans in their efforts to get a travel ban issued for all aliens entering the US from the epicenter of the outbreak,” said Rep. Barton.
In addition to co-sponsoring this legislation, the Congressman has joined other colleagues in signing three letters to the President urging him to use his authority to institute a travel ban.
The Stop Ebola Act would:
Ban travel to the US of any non-US citizen if their journey originated in, or they traveled through, any country that has been designated by the WHO as having “widespread and intense transmissions” of Ebola; and
Deny visas to foreign nationals from any country that has received the WHO’s “widespread and intense transmissions” designation.
The bill is flexible and allows for amending the countries to ban travel or deny visas depending on the World Health Organization’s designations.
