my response from the maria cantwells office. Dear Mr. Counts, Thank you for contacting me regarding the situation in Ferguson. I appreciate hearing from you on this important issue. As you know, on Saturday, August 9, 2014, teenager Michael Brown was fatally shot by a police officer in Ferguson, Missouri, a suburb of St. Louis. My thoughts and prayers are with the family of Michael Brown and the community of Ferguson, as they continue to recover from this tragedy.On Monday, August 11, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) announced that it will conduct a federal civil rights investigation into the death of Michael Brown. In addition, the U.S. Department of Justice is leading a separate review of the local police tactics utilized following the incident, including the use of deadly force by police in Ferguson. It is my hope that the community of Ferguson can come together to find peace in the wake of this tragedy. It is also critical that we know all the facts that led to this incident. Please be assured I will continue to monitor the situation in Ferguson as investigations move forward. I appreciate your concern about the use of military equipment by the Ferguson police force and other local police forces. Local and state law enforcement agencies receive recycled military-grade equipment from the U.S. Department of Defense through the 1033 Program, which was first authorized by the National Defense Authorization Act of 1996 (P.L. 104-106). Under this program, local police may use recycled equipment at their discretion for the explicit purposes of combatting drug-related activities and terrorism in local communities. I believe it is important to ensure that law enforcement agencies have the resources they need to keep communities safe. At the same time, it is critical that we exercise appropriate oversight of programs that provide surplus military equipment to local police forces.In late August, President Obama ordered a review of the 1033 Program and related federal programs. In addition, on September 9, 2014, the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs held a hearing to review the federal governments role in providing local law enforcement agencies with military-grade equipment as well as address the types of equipment supplied, how and when they are used, and their effectiveness. Please be assured I will keep your thoughts in mind should I have the opportunity to consider legislation in the U.S. Senate pertaining to the 1033 program. Thank you again for contacting me to share your thoughts on this matter. Please do not hesitate to contact me in the future if I can be of further assistance.Sincerely, Maria CantwellUnited States SenatorFor future correspondence with my office, please visit my website atcantwell.senate.gov/contact/ Dear Mr. Counts, Thank you for contacting me regarding the Ebola outbreak in western Africa. I appreciate hearing from you on this important issue.As you know, four countries in western Africa are currently suffering from the worst Ebola outbreak to date. Ebola is a severe viral hemorrhagic fever that causes muscle pain and headaches leading to vomiting, diarrhea, and eventual internal bleeding and organ failure. So far, several thousand people have been infected and have died of the disease in the countries of Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria, and Sierra Leone.On October 8, 2014, the Obama Administration announced a series of new international and domestic measures to respond to the Ebola outbreak. One measure will put in place health screenings at five U.S. airports for travelers who are entering the U.S. from Guinea, Libera, and Sierra Leone. These screenings are intended to detect possible cases of Ebola, and complement health screenings already in place for individuals leaving the affected countries. The entry screenings will be conducted at John F. Kennedy, Washington-Dulles, Newark, Chicago-OHare, and Atlanta international airports. These five airports collectively receive more than 94 percent of all incoming travelers from Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone. A small number of Americans have contracted Ebola while working as medical volunteers in the affected areas, or while traveling. One Liberian man who traveled to the U.S. after contracting Ebola recently died while being cared for in a Texas hospital, and one nurse who treated him at that facility has also tested positive and is receiving treatment. Because Ebola is spread through direct contact with bodily fluids, it is critical that Ebola patients are treated in accordance with standard infection transmission safeguards recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).On September 5, 2014, President Obama submitted a supplemental budget request to Congress for $88 million to help fight the Ebola outbreak in western Africa. The request contains $30 million to cover the CDCs efforts to track the spread of the disease, and $58 million for the Biological Advanced Research and Development Authority to accelerate development of ZMapp, an experimental drug to treat Ebola. This funding was included in the Continuing Appropriations Resolution (H. J. Res. 124), which makes continued appropriations for the federal government until December 11, 2014. This legislation passed the Senate with my support on September 18, and was signed by the President on September 19. In addition, the Department of Defense has requested to transfer $1.1 billion in unallocated funding to train health workers, and construct 17 medical facilities with 100 beds each in the affected countries.The Ebola outbreak in western Africa is a humanitarian crisis. I strongly support efforts by the federal government to provide timely help and support to the countries that are struggling to contain this outbreak. I also support domestic public health measures, informed by health care professionals, to prevent this disease from spreading in the United States. Please be assured that I will continue to monitor this situation, and I will keep your thoughts in mind should the Senate consider future legislation related to the Ebola outbreak.Thank you again for contacting me to share your thoughts on this matter. Please do not hesitate to contact me in the future if I can be of further assistance.Sincerely, Maria CantwellUnited States SenatorFor future correspondence with my office, please visit my website atcantwell.senate.gov/contact/
Posted on: Thu, 16 Oct 2014 06:09:36 +0000
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