(Bloomberg) — Former White House official Ron Klain will be chosen by President Barack Obama to coordinate the U.S. response to the deadly Ebola virus, a Senate Democratic aide said today.
Klain is former chief of staff to Vice President Joe Biden and to former Vice President Al Gore. The aide spoke on condition of anonymity because the decision hasn't been made public.
Yesterday, Obama said he was open to choosing a czar to coordinate the U.S. domestic response toEbola as concern over health workers possibly carrying the deadly virus spread from planes to schools and cruise ships.
After the administration acknowledged lapses in handling the first U.S. cases, Obama said he's mobilizing the federal government to contain any spread of the virus within the country's borders. The key to stemming the outbreak is battling it in West Africa, he said. More than 4,400 people have died from Ebola this year, mostly in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone.
