Rick Perry: No Ebola flight bans

Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R-Texas) is pushing back against fellow Republicans who want the federal government to ban travel from countries affected by Ebola. 

While he called for additional screenings for the virus at points of entry, Perry said Tuesday that stopping flights from West Africa would go too far. 

{mosads}”I think it makes better sense for us to have a screening process in place,” he said at a news conference at Galveston National Laboratory. 

“The impact from banning flights from these areas is not going to be an efficient way to deal with this. There are some that would make the argument that it would [hamper the fight against Ebola].” 

The stance puts Perry in agreement with the Obama administration and at odds with Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal (R) and North Carolina House Speaker Thom Tillis (R), who say the government should stop travel from countries where Ebola deaths are highest. 

Tillis has risen to prominence, as he challenges Sen. Kay Hagan (R-N.C.) for her seat, and Jindal is considered a possible 2016 GOP presidential candidate. 

A handful of other prominent Republicans have suggested that more action is needed, including Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Rand Paul (R-Ky.). Both senators are also rumored to be weighing White House bids, along with Perry. 

The Texas governor has become a voice in the debate over Ebola, after a Liberian man arrived in Dallas with the virus last month. That man, Thomas Eric Duncan, is in critical condition at a Dallas hospital. 

The Texas governor announced a new state task force dedicated to infectious disease preparedness on Monday.

He also called for the Obama administration to require enhanced screening of passengers from West Africa, such as temperature checks, and to increase staffing at quarantine stations.