Hantavirus, Ebola Highlight Political Division Over Disease

In this Roll Call article, Ariel Cohen and Savannah Behrmann argue that recent hantavirus and Ebola scares are exposing how deeply partisan America’s public health debates remain after COVID.

• The article says 41 Americans are being monitored for hantavirus after a cruise ship outbreak off the coast of West Africa.
• It also reports that one American tested positive for Ebola and six Americans had high-risk exposure tied to an outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
• The overall public health message is that risk to Americans remains very low, but Democrats and public health advocates are warning that federal preparedness has weakened.
• Critics point to CDC staffing reductions, leadership uncertainty, expired pandemic-preparedness authorizations, and the United States’ withdrawal from the World Health Organization.
• Democrats such as Sen. Chris Murphy and Sen. Tim Kaine argue the Trump administration has left the public health system less prepared for a serious outbreak.
• Republicans cited in the article are far less alarmed, saying the country learned from COVID and is better positioned to monitor and contain threats.
• Rep. Buddy Carter said the U.S. should keep watching the outbreaks but argued the nation is in better shape than before COVID.
• House Energy and Commerce Chairman Brett Guthrie said oversight staff are focused on the situation and in regular contact with HHS.
• The article frames the issue as another example of how pandemic-era distrust and partisan divides continue to shape disease response debates.
• Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Rep. Lauren Underwood have reintroduced legislation aimed at protecting maternal and infant health during public health crises.

Read the full story: https://rollcall.com/2026/05/26/hantavirus-ebola-highlight-political-division-over-disease/