White House officials informed a GOP-led House panel that newly appointed “Ebola czar” Ron Klain won’t testify at a Friday hearing about the federal response to the nation’s recent Ebola outbreak.
According to the Obama administration, Klain won’t be going because he’s not beginning his new job as Ebola response coordinator until Wednesday.
But the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee said Klain’s planned absence is a signal he’s not ready.
“On Friday, the Oversight Committee invited Mr. Klain to testify about his new role coordinating the response to the Ebola crisis,” a spokesman told the Washington Examiner. “Today, the White House informed the Committee he was not prepared to testify.”
Republicans have been critical of President Obama’s decision to tap Klain, who they consider a political operative.
Klain is a lawyer who served as Vice President Joe Biden’s former chief of staff. He has no medical training, but is a former Senate aide admired by many lawmakers for his ability to handle political crises.
Republicans have held two hearings that have shined an unflattering light on the federal government’s response to Ebola, which so far has infected two nurses who treated a Liberian who arrived in the United States with the disease.
The Friday hearing will feature other government witnesses, including Dr. Nicole Lurie, the Health and Human Services Department’s assistant secretary for preparedness and response.
