1. a) Which party holds the majority in the House of Representatives?
b) How would you know this to be so from the first few paragraphs of this article?

2. Define protocol and quarantine as used in the article.

3. a) During a hearing in Congress on Friday, what did lawmakers from both parties call on Obama administration officials to do about workers returning to the U.S. from Ebola-stricken countries?
b) What step did some lawmakers call on administration officials to make?
c) Why did they make this suggestion? Be specific. (How did they explain their concerns?)

4. What questions did Congress members ask Defense Department officials during the hearing?

5. a) What did White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest say about the Obama administration’s Ebola protocols?
b) What did he say to try to reassure New Yorkers that there is nothing to worry about, after a doctor who returned from Africa traveled on the subway, etc. just before developing Ebola symptoms?
c) Does this reassure you that there is no fear of contracting Ebola in NYC? Explain your answer.

6. a) What protocols are currently in place for U.S. troops who return from Africa to ensure the safety of Americans, according to Defense Department officials?
b) Do you think this is the best way to ensure any troops who contract Ebola won’t spread it to people here? Explain your answer.

7. Major General James Lariviere, deputy director of political-military affairs for Africa, said the U.S. is undertaking important work in the region, but that direct care for patients is not part of its mission.
He said the military was adhering to protocols from the CDC, as well as its own infectious diseases experts. Ask a parent: are you assured by the Major General’s remarks? Explain your answer.

OPTIONAL: Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, while saying that strict quarantine for people exposed to Ebola is under active discussion, noted that it’s not strictly a federal decision. “The states have an awful lot to say about what happens when people come in,” Dr. Fauci told reporters. City, state and federal powers to forcibly quarantine people exist, but haven’t typically been applied. What would you ask your state officials to do about people who have been exposed to or treated Ebola patients? Self-monitor for 21 days, Be quarantined for 21 days? More or less than either of these? Explain your answer.