Ebola, midterms to headline Sunday shows

President Obama’s efforts to exert influence across the globe will be a major topic of discussion on the Sunday news shows.

Leon Panetta, who served under Obama as both Defense Secretary and director of the Central Intelligence Agency, drew headlines this week after second-guessing the president’s foreign policy, saying he was sending a “mixed message” worldwide.

His comments in turn drew attention from Obama allies questioning how a former top official could critique a president still serving in office. Panetta will continue that debate Sunday on CBS.

The ongoing efforts to combat the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) will also be a major discussion point, as the Republican heads of key House committees will make appearances, as will Susan Rice, the president’s top national security adviser, and Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

The heads of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases will appear Sunday to discuss the continue efforts to control Ebola in the U.S. and worldwide. A Liberian man first diagnosed with the disease in the U.S. succumbed to the disease Wednesday, and the government announced plans shortly thereafter to step up airport screenings of passengers arriving from West African countries.

Gay marriage will also attract attention on Sunday, after the Supreme Court’s surprising decision not to reconsider lower court rulings against gay marriage bans in several states. And with weeks to go before voters head to the polls, discussions of the 2014 midterm campaign will also attract a lot of chatter. 

Here’s what’s coming on Sunday: 

CBS’s “Face the Nation”: Former Defense Secretary and CIA Director Leon Panetta will be on hand to discuss his latest book and his controversial criticism of Obama’s foreign policy. Panetta will also likely discuss ISIS, as will Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas), chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee. Dr. Tom Frieden, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, will also appear to discuss Ebola efforts.

ABC’s “This Week”: This Week will talk with Gen. Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Mich.), chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, about ongoing efforts to combat ISIS; Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julian Castro will be discussing the economy. Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, will be on hand to discuss continued efforts to combat Ebola in the U.S. and worldwide.

CNN’s “State of the Union”: The upcoming midterm election will be the central topic on CNN, as party heads square off with just weeks before voters head to the polls. Reince Prieubus, chairman of the Republican National Committee, will appear alongside Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.), head of the Democratic National Committee, as the two parties battle for control of Congress.

“Fox News Sunday”: Same-sex marriage will take center stage on Fox, after the Supreme Court declined to revisit lower court rulings the issue Monday, effectively allowing same-sex couples to get married in Utah, Virginia, Oklahoma and Wisconsin. Theodore Olson, Solicitor General under President George W. Bush who helped lead the legal challenge against Virginia’s gay marriage ban, will be a guest, Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council which opposes same-sex marriage, will also appear.

NBC’s “Meet the Press”: ISIS’s efforts to gain control in the Middle East will be the main topic on NBC, as White House national security adviser Susan Rice is the lead guest. Henry Kissinger, Secretary of State under Presidents Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford, and James Baker, who held the same spot under President George H.W. Bush, will also be on hand to offer a competing take.