U.S. congressman’s Ebola flub 'sickens' Guyana and the disapora, but there’s no apology yet

C-SPANRep. Darrell Issa (R-California), chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, appallingly flubbed comments at an important U.S. government hearing on Ebola –mistakenly saying a recent outbreak took place in “Guyana” because he was unable to correctly pronounce Guinea, the African nation where the occurrence took place.

He set out to firmly question the federal government’s response to Ebola at an Oct. 24 hearing. But the credibility of Rep. Darrell Issa, chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, was called into question after he stated that a recent African outbreak of Ebola took place in “Guyana” — an Ebola-free South American nation.

The New York-based Caribbean Guyana Institute for Democracy sent a letter to Issa (R-Calif.) seeking an apology for erroneous statements about Guyana that could stigmatize that nation and more than 1 million Guyanese living in North America. New York City is home to a sizable and vibrant Guyanese community.

“Taxpayers want to know that our government is prepared,” Issa said in his opening statements at the highly-publicized hearing, before promptly showing he was unprepared to say Guinea (pronounced GIH-nee), when referring to the West African nation where an Ebola outbreak had actually occurred. Instead, he mistakenly said the outbreak took place in Guyana (pronounced guy-AH-nuh).

And it wasn’t a one-time flub.

Bloomberg News reported that Issa (pictured) made the error three times during the session, which was watched anxiously by millions of Americans concerned about the possibility of the virus spreading in the U.S.

“The first time could have been interpreted as a flustered fluke. Issa had stumbled on the word “nation” when saying that ‘in the West African nation of Guyana, the world first learned about yet another new outbreak of the Ebola virus several months ago,’ ” reported Bloomberg's Alison Elkin. “But then it happened again. And again.”

Other news outlets — including Guyana’s stabroeknews.com, New York-based NewsAmericasNow.com, dailykos.com, and www.politicususa.com — reported on Issa’s “Guyana” errors, and numerous Twitter users noted his repeated mistaken use of “Eboli” for Ebola.

And Issa was apparently also not prepared to say he’s sorry.

“No response (from Issa). I’ve received several calls and emails from Caribbean Americans supporting our call for an apology, including from some very prominent folks,” said CGID President Rickford Burke, who sent copies of the letter to House Speaker John Boehner, House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and New York-area Reps. Hakeem Jeffries (D-Brooklyn) and Rep. Yvette Clarke (D-Brooklyn).

“CGID therefore calls on you to immediately, and in person, retract your comments and render an unqualified apology to the people of Guyana and the Guyanese-American community. I am confident that given your well-publicized criticisms of several US government officials for “alleged” mistakes, you as a man of principle and Chairman of a powerful committee of the United States House of Representatives would not allow such a colossal mistake to contend without correction.”

READ THE ENTIRE LETTER BELOW

October 26, 2014

Rep. Darrell Issa (R-California), chairman, House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform,
United States Representative for the 49th District of California
Chairman, House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform
2347 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515

Dear Representative Issa:

On Friday, October 24, 2014 at a hearing of the Oversight and Government Reform Committee of the United States House of Representatives, you inadvertently stated that “Beginning in March 2014 in the West African nation of Guyana, the world first learned about yet another new outbreak of the Ebola virus.” You also said “The news that a medical doctor returning from Guyana has tested positive for Ebola has raised even more questions.” The latter reference was to Dr. Craig Spencer, a “Doctors without Borders” physician who was last week diagnosed with Ebola in New York City. 

Congressman Issa! Guyana is in South America, in the Western Hemisphere where you also live, and not West Africa. Associating Guyana with West Africa demonstrates a stunning lack of knowledge of world geography!

Obviously, you were attempting to make reference to Guinea, West Africa, where Ebola is currently an epidemic. 

Moreover, no one in Guyana has either contracted Ebola, been exposed to any person/s with Ebola, treated any persons who have been infected with or exposed to Ebola and no Guyanese who has travelled to the U.S. or any person who has travelled to the US from Guyana has ever had any exposure to Ebola. 

There are over one million Guyanese living in North America and large Guyanese-American communities in the US. Thus, there are several commercial flights from Guyana to the US daily.

“Your erroneous statements about Guyana have stigmatized our country, engendered misplaced fear of persons on flights from Guyana to the U.S. as well as Guyanese arriving in the US.”

CGID therefore calls on you to immediately, and in person, retract your comments and render an unqualified apology to the people of Guyana and the Guyanese-American community. I am confident that given your well-publicized criticisms of several US government officials for “alleged” mistakes, you as a man of principle and Chairman of a powerful committee of the United States House of Representatives would not allow such a colossal mistake to contend without correction.

I look forward to your apology!

Should you wish to make contact with me I may be reached at 518-882-8270.

Yours sincerely,

Caribbean Guyana Institute for Democracy President Rickford Burke, LL.M
President

Caribbean Guyana Institute for Democracy (CGID)

CC: Hon. John Boehner, Speaker of the United States House of Representatives
Hon. Kevin McCarthy, Majority Leader of the United States House of Representatives
Hon. Nancy Pelos, Minority Leader of the United States House of Representatives
Hon. Hakeem Jeffries, Unites States Representative, 8th District
Hon. Yvette Clarke, Unites States Representative 9th District