PLANNED CLOSURE OF JOINT FORCES COMMAND IS A DIRECT REFLECTION ON GLENN NYE'S LACK OF LEADERSHIP

Announcement by the Administration affects 4,000 plus local jobs

Democratic Congressman is once again unable to provide leadership in protecting jobs in the Second District


VIRGINIA BEACH, VA - Scott Rigell, the Republican nominee in Virginia's Second Congressional District, issued sharp criticism of Democratic freshman incumbent Congressman Glenn Nye's inability to lead and protect the critical United States Joint Forces Command (USJFCOM) in Norfolk. The recent announcement by Defense Secretary Robert Gates means over 4,000 jobs could be lost during these already tough economic times. The planned closure of Norfolk's Joint Forces Command, coupled with the loss of a Hampton Roads-based aircraft carrier, means that the Hampton Roads region is likely to lose over 15,000 jobs under Glenn Nye's watch. The loss of the aircraft carrier alone means losing $650 million in annual economic activity in the region. The USJFCOM closure will be another devastating loss for the small businesses and hard working families in our communities.

Rigell released the following statement:

"The planned closure of Norfolk's Joint Forces Command is yet one more painful consequence of having Glenn Nye in Congress. Once again, our region is on the verge of losing a major military asset, and our freshman incumbent has done little to stop such a move. Hampton Roads and Eastern Shore families cannot afford another two years of Glenn Nye and his lack of leadership on jobs and growing our economy.

Unfortunately, this is not the first time Congressman Nye has failed to protect our region. Despite the potential loss of a carrier, Nye waited a full year after he took office, and just days before the Quadrennial Defense Review (QDR) was published, to form a commission to coordinate our region's response to Florida's relentless efforts to move our military assets and commands. It is telling that Norfolk Mayor Paul Fraim observed that forming a unified local response was 'long overdue.'

Losing the USJFCOM has the same potential to devastate our economy as does the loss of a carrier. The closure of companies that depend on the modeling and simulation component of the USJFCOM, including Lockheed Martin, will ripple through our real estate market, restaurants, and other small businesses.

For over eighteen months, we have seen an out-of-touch Congress spend our country into a $1.4 trillion deficit; now the bill is coming due. Speaker Pelosi's liberal agenda and hyperactive spending is now forcing us to cut our national defense. At a time when virtually every federal department is growing, it is astonishing that the Department of Defense is the only one facing real cuts. This is another example of the misplaced priorities of our freshman incumbent who voted in the Democratic Congressional leadership that is taking our country down the wrong track.

In contrast, I believe in a policy of peace through strength, which can only be sustained through a robust economy. America's national security is directly tied to our economic strength and the vitality of our private employers. That is why my campaign is dedicated to creating jobs and renewing America."

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And then Nye's week got even worse.

Just after it was made painfully obvious that the freshman incumbent has little to no political pull, a Pro-Israel group released this ad:

In February Scott released this statement in response to Nye's letter:

�Having just returned from a fact-finding visit to Israel, where I met with senior Israel leadership and saw firsthand the rockets that have terrorized the city of Sderot and neighboring cities in the south of Israel, I am stunned by our freshman congressman�s decision to sign this letter. By signing the letter and aligning himself with the most liberal members of our Congress, including John Conyer, Jim McGovern and Barbara Lee, Congressman Nye seems more concerned about the rights of Hamas than innocent Israeli citizens. Our freshman congressman fails to fully understand that Hamas is an organization that openly calls for the destruction of the State of Israel and has used Israel�s voluntary withdrawal from Gaza to turn schools into terrorist bases, homes into rocket launch pads, and market places into battlefields. The travel restrictions on Gaza are reasonable given Israel�s right, indeed its duty, to protect its citizens. Our freshman congressman has made clear that he has a na�ve world view and a fundamental misunderstanding of the nature and scope of the threat posed by Hamas to the citizens of our ally, Israel.�

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Elect Scott Rigell. Business Sense. Conservative Leadership.