VIRGINIA BEACH – Ed Gillespie unveiled several policies today to respond to the outbreak of Ebola. The policies include containing Ebola to source countries, oversight and effective response at the source, and strengthening U.S. response capabilities.

Speaking of his policies, Gillespie said: “One of the problems with the Obama-Warner policies is that the federal government is doing too many things that would be better left to state and local governments or the private sector, and failing at too many things it should be doing well. One of those is protecting our public health and safety. The Administration’s response to the threat of Ebola has been very weak and does not inspire confidence.

“My policies offer clear cut solutions to this serious threat to our public health and safety. The time for talk is long gone; it’s time for decisive action.”

At the final debate on Oct. 13, Gillespie called for a travel ban from West African nations with Ebola outbreaks, while Sen. Warner stopped short of support for that measure. Video of the exchange is available here: http://youtu.be/to5OGmHkf9I

Ebola Threat Response Policies

The Ebola outbreak in West Africa is one of the most significant public health emergencies of our time. With upwards of 5,000 dead and thousands more affected, the outbreak threatens to ravage the region. The United States and international community must work to contain the virus’s spread both inside and outside of the most affected countries. An effective Ebola response requires close coordination of U.S. agencies, proper funding, and Congressional oversight. As our Senator, I would focus on these three aspects to ensure a coordinated response:

1. Contain Ebola to Source Countries. As in the case of Mr. Thomas Duncan in Dallas, our global interconnectedness makes it relatively easy for the virus to circulate around the world. Fortunately, at this juncture, we have an opportunity to screen and track those who might have been exposed.

Travel Ban from Affected Countries. Containing and isolating the virus to its source country should be the top priority. Outside of public health professionals, all other travel to countries with a significant outbreak should be barred until the Centers for Disease Control certifies the outbreak is stopped. President Obama, through the Immigration and Naturalization Act, has the authority to do this now. If he fails to do so, then Congress should pass a ban as soon as possible.

Proper Screening of Travelers. According to most reports, Mr. Duncan lied on his questionnaire to leave Liberia and had a flight connection in Belgium. While there are not currently any direct flights from affected countries, the U.S. must work with third-party countries to ensure any travelers who have been in–or hold a passport from–the West African region are properly screened. The more we are able to track and monitor those who might have been exposed, the better we can contain any possible outbreaks.

2. Oversight and Effective Response at the Source. The U.S. military is recognized as being the only force with the capabilities and resources to help contain the outbreak in West Africa. The 4,000 troops being deployed must have the capabilities and resources to execute their mission safely and successfully.

Restore National Security/Defense Budget. I was deeply concerned to see the Pentagon requesting to reallocate $1 billion from other defense accounts to fund the Ebola mission. While I agree it is a national priority, this is another case of the military being asked to do more with less. The Senate should immediately repeal the sequester to restore our military and ensure the military’s $1 billion request is not funded at the expense of other defense priorities.

Continued Congressional Oversight of American Mission. The U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee must continue to provide oversight and monitor developments. I commend Senator Inhofe for demanding and receiving regular briefings from the Obama Administration and Pentagon officials which should be required for continued Congressional funding and support.

Properly Protect and Compensate our Troops on the Ground. While not a traditional combat zone, our troops are very much in danger while deployed to West Africa. Our forces need to be protected with proper protocols, equipment and standing procedures in case of accidental infection. In addition, the Combat Zone Tax Exemption and Imminent Danger Pay should immediately be extended to those on the ground as they are an important part of our service members’ compensation and reflect the heightened risk working in the hot zone.

3. Strengthen U.S. Response Capabilities. The recent moves by the CDC and military were welcome to help increase our capacity to respond to any incidents in the U.S. Nonetheless, we must ensure our public officials are held accountable and our research efforts are funded.

Dr. Thomas Frieden, Director for the Centers for Disease Control, Should be Fired and Replaced Immediately. Dr Frieden failed to adequately protect hospital workers and the American public at large. He should be replaced immediately with a public health professional who can infuse accountability and responsiveness to this public health threat.

Expedite U.S. Federal Drug Administration Approval of Ebola Vaccine and Treatment. With several vaccine and treatment initiatives ongoing, the U.S. must work with its international partners to provide necessary and needed funding, which might reach hundreds of millions of dollars.

Proper Protocol and Resources for Current and Any Future Crisis. The CDC has been underprepared and overwhelmed with its response to the Ebola crisis. This is unacceptable for an agency with the important task of tracking and responding to public health threats as they arise. Congress must continue to monitor the CDC’s efforts and hold the agency accountable, while ensuring the CDC has the tools, procedures, and funding needed to prevent future outbreaks.

Gillespie’s policies won praise from members of the Virginia Delegation, including:

Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee Bob Goodlatte:
Ed Gillespie’s plan for a coordinated response to the Ebola issue is the type of proactive leadership the Commonwealth needs. I appreciate Ed’s early and outspoken leadership on formulating a far-reaching plan to address an Ebola response both here in the United States, and abroad.

Rep. Morgan Griffith:
Ed Gillespie’s Ebola containment plan shows he is a man of ideas and is willing to take initiative when it comes to the important issues. This exemplifies the kind of leadership the Commonwealth needs moving forward.

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ANNANDALE – The Winchester Star endorsed Ed Gillespie for Senate in an editorial this morning. The full text of the editorial is below and is available online here: http://www.winchesterstar.com/article/our_view_ed_gillespie

Our View: Ed Gillespie

Let us tell you about Ed Gillespie. For the last three months or so, our focus has been on the sitting U.S. senator Mr. Gillespie is trying to unseat — particularly his six years of service as a rubber stamp for the statist policies of an increasingly unpopular president. Now, though, it’s time to speak about Ed Gillespie.

We had an opportunity to chat at length with this political and public-policy lifer on a sunny Friday in mid-September — days before the polls tightened, and nearly a month before allegations surfaced about the incumbent’s foray back into messy state politics to help keep the Virginia Senate safe for what was then a de facto Democratic majority.

For months, we had heard that Republicans, presented with a once-in-a-generation opportunity to wrest total control of Congress from the opposition, were devoid of ideas, that they were running simply as the “anti-Obama” alternative. And thus were in danger of, as the saying goes, “snatching defeat from the jaws of victory.”

That September day, we learned that, in this political landscape, Mr. Gillespie stands out as a genuine exception to this perception — if it actually exists. True, over a fast-paced hour, he did address the mechanics of his campaign and the monetary challenges inherent in facing a well-heeled incumbent. But mostly, he talked about ideas, his ideas for Virginia. Ideas that are thoughtful, ideas that are practical, ideas that are conservative, ideas that deserve a chance — especially given the sitting senator’s reflexive submission to ideas and initiatives antithetical to the carefully scripted presentation of himself as a “radical centrist.”

Ed Gillespie’s program for Virginia, and for America, is skillfully titled EG2 — “Ed Gillespie = Economic Growth.” It boasts five specific planks, all worthy of discussion.

1) Replacing ObamaCare — From the Affordable Care Act’s moment of conception, Mr. Gillespie told us, he believed the measure would, if approved, “kill jobs and raise costs.” Such a scenario, sadly, has come to pass; ObamaCare is, he says, “the single biggest drag on our economy.”

“Premiums are sky-rocketing,” Mr. Gillespie adds. “People are squeezed between lost hours, rising costs, and stagnant pay.”

His solution: Replace ObamaCare with “a real reform plan that puts patients first and provides more affordable options,” a system that “lets us keep the insurance we like and the doctors we trust, and allows businesses to grow and hire.”

2) Tax and regulatory relief — The current tax and regulatory burden, especially the highest business tax rate in the industrialized world, is “a boot on the throat of our economic recovery,” Mr. Gillespie says.

His solution: Reduce the corporate tax rate, simplify the tax code (thus easing the strain on families while allowing them to keep more of their hard-earned money), subject all federal regulations to a cost-benefit analysis, and repeal all “outdated and unnecessarily excessive” rules and regs.

3) Unleashing American energy — In no arena are the differences between Mr. Gillespie and Mark Warner more clear-cut. The senator has supported cap-and-trade initiatives and a carbon tax; Mr. Gillespie does not. The challenger looks at proposed EPA rule changes relative to coal production and sees nothing less than the closure of “one-third to one-half” of Virginia’s coal-fired plants and a concomitant loss of livelihood to the economically embattled residents of the state’s hard-pressed Southwest. What’s more, all Virginia families and firms would see their bottom lines diminished by ever-increasing energy costs.

His solution(s): Embrace traditional and alternative sources of energy production — coal and natural gas as well as solar and wind — so much the better to make America energy independent. Mr. Gillespie heartily supports the Keystone pipeline and advocates an end to the moratorium on off-shore drilling.

4) Education reform — Top-down mandates dispensed from Washington? Mr. Gillespie’s against them. And throwing more money at education, he says, is not the answer either.

His solution: Innovation, competition, and choice. Mr. Gillespie says he’ll work “tirelessly” to empower parents in the pursuit of their children’s best educational interests.

5) Spending and the budget — Simply stated, Mr. Gillespie would cut the former and seek to balance the latter. “Reckless” spending and a debt spiraling past $18 trillion are unsustainable.

His solution(s): Push for a Balanced Budget Amendment; rein in wasteful spending. “It’s time we stop spending money we just don’t have,” he says.

Mr. Gillespie presents his five-point plan in simple, straightforward fashion and terminology. It’s only when he speaks to the plight of everyday Virginians he’s spoken with on the campaign trial that his passion for the race rises.

“As I’ve campaigned,” he says, “I see economic anxiety, even pain.” As such, his stance on legislation, particularly that relating to the economy, will be governed by a “simple test: Will this bill ease the squeeze on hard-working Virginians or will it make it harder for them to find the jobs they need?” And if he fails that “test,” he expects — and encourages — Virginians to “hold me accountable.”

“I want the same blessings of liberty for everyone that I’ve had,” says Mr. Gillespie, grandson of an immigrant janitor. “These blessings were born here in Virginia, and I’ll fight for them every damn day.”

Ed Gillespie deserves the opportunity to make that fight. He deserves your support on Election Day, Nov. 4.

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DALE CITY – The Richmond Times-Dispatch endorsed Ed Gillespie for Senate in an editorial this morning. Excerpts from the editorial are below and the full editorial is available online here: http://www.timesdispatch.com/opinion/our-opinion/today-s-top-opinion-gillespie-for-senate/article_7ae7292a-6e0c-5734-b0a7-8944670ce72d.html

Today’s top opinion: Gillespie for Senate

Virginia is fortunate this year to have an appealing alternative to Warner. Ed Gillespie has run a skilled and substantive campaign, one that has offered reasonable, realistic solutions to problems that have for too long festered and multiplied. He has demonstrated a refreshing respect for the intelligence of the constituents he seeks to serve. His vision of a federal government that is both more effective and far more modest — the only coherent path forward — promises a hopeful and prosperous future for both the nation and the commonwealth.

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We endorse Gillespie because his philosophy embraces free markets and free people, the ultimate American solutions, and because we are confident he will serve as an able and honest senator.

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Warner’s vote to support Reid as Senate leader, which is sure to be repeated if the Democrat returns to Congress, has ensured the gridlock that Virginia’s senior senator so often laments. Reid has killed numerous serious ideas emanating from the House of Representatives, including many originated by Virginians serving in the lower chamber. It’s time to thank Mark Warner for his efforts and send him back to the private sector, where he will no doubt flourish. Virginia needs a senator who does more than propose. We need one who will help formulate, stimulate and legislate effective solutions. That’s Ed Gillespie.

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