Why Politicians Should Stop Pushing for an Ebola Travel Ban

The Obama administration has for now ruled out travel bans between the U.S. and Ebola-stricken countries in West Africa, despite calls from lawmakers and concerned citizens. During a press conference Monday President Obama announced that there will be additional screenings of people, both in West Africa and the U.S. “We're also going to be working on protocols to do additional passenger screenings, both at the source and here in the United States,” he said.

For several politicians, this is a step in the right direction, but not enough. Senator Ted Cruz called on the FAA to use “every available precaution” before mentioning that several African countries have restricted air travel to Ebola-stricken countries. Representative Paul Ryan called for a 21-day “quarantine” period, though his staff later said he meant a monitoring period. Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal, Representative Ted Poe, and Arkansas Representatives Tom Cotton, Tim Griffin, Steve Womack and Rick Crawford, among others, have all called for travel restrictions.