Rand Paul warns of Ebola crossing the border and infecting U.S. troops

Rand Paul warns of Ebola crossing the border and infecting U.S. troops
(Image credit: Richard Ellis/Getty Images)

Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) is the latest lawmaker to warn that an Ebola pandemic could creep across the U.S.-Mexico border.

In an interview with Glenn Beck, Paul questioned the CDC's insistence that it can keep in check the one confirmed case of Ebola in the United States. In particular, he told Beck that the border "is not only a danger for national security purposes, it is also a danger for a world-wide pandemic should it occur."

In a separate interview Wednesday on Laura Ingraham's radio program, Paul wondered whether the U.S. should reconsider sending 3,000 troops to West Africa to help contain Ebola there.

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"We all know about cruises and how they get these diarrhea viruses that are transmitted very easily," he said. "Can you imagine if a whole ship full of our soldiers catch Ebola?"

"It's a big mistake to downplay and act as if, 'Oh, this is not a big deal, we can control all this,'" he added. "This could get beyond our control."

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Jon Terbush

Jon Terbush is an associate editor at TheWeek.com covering politics, sports, and other things he finds interesting. He has previously written for Talking Points Memo, Raw Story, and Business Insider.