President Obama tapped veteran government insider Ron Klain
to coordinate his administration's efforts to contain the Ebola virus Friday. Klain,
a former chief of staff to Vice Presidents Joe Biden and Al Gore, is well-known
by Obama and White House aides. He was selected for his management experience
and contacts throughout the government, White House spokesman Josh Earnest
said.
Klain's appointment marks a swift turnabout for Obama, who
until Thursday had resisted calls to appoint a single official to run the
government's response to Ebola. Obama did not mention Klain's appointment
during a speech Friday to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, but he said
his administration is taking an "all-hands-on-deck" approach to
fighting Ebola.
The administration has come under increased pressure to name
an anti-Ebola coordinator in the wake of news that two nurses in Dallas
contracted the deadly virus. Both had treated a man who died of Ebola.
Klain played a high-profile file in Gore's 2000 presidential
campaign. Oscar-winning actor Kevin Spacey portrayed him in an HBO movie on
that year's Florida recount.
The Ebola response includes efforts to screen travelers from
West African nations where Ebola has reached epidemic proportions and killed
more than 4,500 people. Klain will help coordinate the assistance the U.S.
military provides in West Africa.
Some Republican lawmakers criticized Obama for entrusting
the job to a former government manager rather than a professional.
Members of the public health community expressed surprise. The
Ebola position is designed to be more managerial in nature, involving an array
of government agencies ranging from the Pentagon to Health and Human Services.
Klain may weigh in on another question facing the
administration: the prospect of a U.S. travel ban from West African nations
where there have been Ebola outbreaks.
Obama and aides have disputed the need for a travel ban,
questioning whether it would work and arguing that it might create unintended
problems. Klain is likely to take a low key role publicly. Klain will report to
two officials involved in the anti-Ebola effort: homeland security adviser Lisa
Monaco and national security adviser Susan Rice.
The president has long known Klain, who helped prepare him
for debates with Mitt Romney during the 2012 presidential campaign. Klain has
been out of government since leaving Biden's staff during Obama's first term.
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