WH: Braley speaks ‘truth to power’

The White House said Thursday that criticism from Democratic Senate candidate Rep. Bruce Braley (D-Iowa) over its response to the Ebola crisis is fair game.

White House press secretary Josh Earnest said Braley was “somebody that has a reputation for being willing to speak truth to power, whether they’re in the same party as him or not.”

{mosads}”I think this is another indication that he’s willing to do that,” had added.

Braley, who is locked in one of the nation’s toughest races, blasted the administration during a House Energy and Commerce hearing earlier Thursday, saying he was “greatly concerned … that the administration did not act fast enough responding” to the first U.S. Ebola case diagnosed in the U.S., in Texas.

Two healthcare workers who treated the Ebola victim have also contracted the virus, prompting tough questions about the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) handling of the case and readiness to prevent an outbreak.

Earnest acknowledged “there have been some shortcomings in the federal government’s response to this situation.”

He also admitted there had been an “error” in allowing one of those nurses to travel on a commercial jet, potentially risking dozens to infection, saying that it “should not have occurred.”

But the press secretary said he hoped the White House would be evaluated in how it is now reacting to the issue.

“What you’ve also seen from the CDC is improved guidance to the healthcare workers at the facility in Dallas about the protocols they should put in place to protect themselves when they’re treating Ebola patients,” Earnest said.

“There are lessons learned that are being gleaned from that event, and as there is strengthened guidance for the CDC to communicate to health care professionals across the country, they will do that.”

Braley is crucial to Democrats’ hopes for holding the Senate. First lady Michelle Obama traveled to Des Moines to stump on his behalf just last week.

The rally invited ridicule after she repeatedly botched Braley’s name, however, referring to him as “Bruce Bailey.”

Other vulnerable Democrats, including Rep. Nick Rahall (D-W.Va.), have said they believe the administration should implement a travel ban on the three West Africa countries where the Ebola case is concentrated.

The White House said such a ban was “not something that we’re considering.” 

“The only way we can completely eliminate risk of the Ebola virus to the American public is stopping the outbreak at its source,” said Earnest. 

“We need to make sure that we’re surging supplies and equipment and personnel to the region, not putting in place a travel ban that would only restrict the movement of those materials that are critical to the effort to stem the outbreak at the source,” he added.