GOP Rep.: Central American Immigrants May Be Carrying Ebola

Republican candidate for U.S. Representative Todd Rokita speaks at an Indiana Republican Party Tuesday, Nov. 6, 2012, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)
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Rep. Todd Rokita (R-IN) implied during an interview conducted Monday with Indianapolis radio station WIBC that children immigrating from Central America may be infected with the Ebola virus.

According to the Northwest Indiana Times, Rokita said that the issue of infection had come up during a conversation with fellow Rep. Larry Bucshon (R-IN), who happens to also be a heart surgeon.

“He said, look, we need to know just from a public-health standpoint, with Ebola circulating and everything else — no, that’s my addition to it, not necessarily his — but he said we need to know the condition of these kids,” Rokita said, according to the Times.

Ebola has already killed more than 800 people this year in West Africa but there are no reported cases originating in the Western Hemisphere. According to the U.S. Office of Refugee Resettlement’s website, all refugees released to family members and sponsors have first undergone a series of medical screenings ensuring that they are not infected with contagious illnesses.

h/t Zoe Schlanger

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Notable Replies

  1. And here I thought “Der Sturmer” had gone out of business.

  2. Further proof that the GOP doesn’t care about children once they’re no longer a foetus.

  3. Avatar for fess fess says:

    Wow. Maybe he should get together with Bachmann. Between the two of them, maybe they could open an alternate medical institute information site. There’s no telling what the medical community could learn from these founts of wisdom.

    P.S. Do you suppose Rokita could find both Sierra Leone and Guatemala on a map without coaching?

  4. yes, Ebola from Africa made its way to Central America. The real question is who is more of a complete idiot: this guy or trump?

  5. Is today “Stupid Pudgy White Guys on Parade” Day?

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