Chaffetz: Ebola czar ‘off to a bad start’
The White House’s Ebola czar is “off to a bad start” after declining an invitation to testify before the House Oversight Committee, Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah) said Wednesday.
{mosads}“He’s on the job as of today — why not come talk to the American people in the Congress, answer questions from both Republicans and Democrats on Friday?” Chaffetz said during an interview with Fox News.
“I don’t know. We’re off to a bad start.”
Ron Klain, Vice President Biden’s former chief of staff and the administration’s new Ebola czar, assumed his new duties Wednesday at the White House.
His first day includes an afternoon meeting with President Obama as well as sessions with White House staff and administration teams managing the response to Ebola in the U.S. and abroad.
Chaffetz said that the need for Klain to testify was greater because “this is something that everybody in the country is thinking about.”
“We have questions as to whether or not he should be in that spot, but what about the budget, what about the response, what about all these other agencies that are set up to deal with this?” Chaffetz continued. “They are some very basic questions, but why not come answer these questions?”
The White House has said it would not be appropriate for Klain to testify so quickly into his tenure.
“That will be day three of his tenure,” White House spokesman Eric Schultz said.
Another White House representative said the administration was “fully participating” in the hearing, and would send officials from the Pentagon and Department of Health and Human Services.
“While Mr. Klain, who starts on Wednesday, will not participate, U.S. government officials from the multi-agency response effort can provide information on the administration’s response,” the official said.
Republican lawmakers were quick to criticize Klain’s selection, complaining that he has no prior medical experience.
“I have to ask why the President didn’t pick an individual with a noteworthy infectious disease or public health background?” House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Ed Royce (R-Calif.) said in a statement.
The White House has shrugged off that criticism, saying Klain understands the complexities of the federal government and can organize the response.
“Mr. Klain continues to be the person that the President believes is the expert implementer that’s needed to ensure that our whole-of-government approach to fighting Ebola is effectively applied in this situation to protect the American public,” press secretary Josh Earnest said Tuesday.