Last updated on: 3/21/2016 8:57:13 AM PST
Jeb Bush (R)
Positions & Statements on the Issues
[ Editor's Note: On Saturday, Feb. 20, 2016, Governor Jeb Bush announced the suspension of his presidential campaign. He stated the following in a video released on Twitter: "The presidency is bigger than any one person, and it's certainly bigger than any candidate... I firmly believe the American people must entrust this office to someone who understands that whoever holds it is a servant not the master... I'm proud of the campaign that we've run to unify the country and to advocate conservative solutions that would give more Americans the opportunity to rise up and reach their God-given potential... [T]he people of Iowa, New Hampshire, and South Carolina have spoken, and I really respect their decision. So tonight, I am suspending my campaign."]
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| Crime & Justice |
Pro
Should the Death Penalty Be Allowed?
"I am aware that many spiritual leaders, including the Pope, have called for the abolition of the death penalty and that 10 states have abolished capital punishment...
However, after many years of deliberation on this subject, I am also convinced that Florida's capital punishment law is just because it is applied so rarely and only in the most horrific cases...
[A]ccording to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, preserving the common good of society requires rendering the aggressor unable to inflict harm."
Source: Philip Bump, "There Was a Time When Jeb Bush Was Far More Willing to Involve the Pope in Politics," washingtonpost.com, June 17, 2015
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| Crime & Justice |
None Found
Should the United States Abide by Its Treaties with Native American Tribes?
Withdrew on Feb. 20, 2016; no additional research done as of that date to determine candidate's position on this question.
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| Crime & Justice |
None Found
Should Private Prisons Be Allowed in the United States?
Withdrew on Feb. 20, 2016; no additional research done as of that date to determine candidate's position on this question.
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| Crime & Justice |
None Found
Should Law Enforcement Be Allowed to Use Racial Profiling?
Withdrew on Feb. 20, 2016; no additional research done as of that date to determine candidate's position on this question.
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| Crime & Justice |
Con
Should Supreme Court Justice Scalia's Replacement Be Chosen by President Obama?
"The simple fact is the next president needs to appoint someone with a proven conservative record, similar to Justice Scalia, that is a lover of liberty, that believes in limited government, that consistently applied that kind of philosophy, that didn't try to legislator [sic] from the bench, that was respectful of the Constitution.
And then fight and fight, and fight for that nomination to make sure that that nomination passes.
Of course, the president, by the way, has every right to nominate Supreme Court justices. I'm an Article II guy in the Constitution. We're running for the president of the United States. We want a strong executive for sure. But in return for that, there should be a consensus orientation on that nomination, and there's no doubt in my mind that Barack Obama will not have a consensus pick when he submits that person to the Senate."
Source: Team Fix, "The CBS News Republican Debate Transcript, Annotated," washingtonpost.com, Feb. 13, 2016
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| Crime & Justice |
None Found
Should the United States Continue the War on Drugs?
Withdrew on Feb. 20, 2016; no additional research done as of that date to determine candidate's position on this question.
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| Economy & Taxes |
None Found
Should Churches (Defined as Churches, Temples, Mosques, Synagogues, etc.) Remain Tax-Exempt?
Withdrew on Feb. 20, 2016; no additional research done as of that date to determine candidate's position on this question.
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| Economy & Taxes |
Pro
Does Lowering the Corporate Income Tax Rate Create Jobs?
"The U.S. has the highest statutory corporate tax rate in the developed world. The tax rate is 60 percent higher than China’s top rate. This high statutory rate discourages foreign investment in the US And the huge number of special preferences and loopholes means the corporate tax code not only harms economic activity, but also collects much less revenue than advertised... As other nations have reformed their corporate taxes, the United States has become even less competitive. We now regularly see US firms re-domiciling their businesses outside of the US, including the large number of so-called corporate inversions…
Jeb’s tax reform plan [would]...
Lower our corporate tax rate to 20 percent – below China’s – to bring jobs and manufacturing back to the United States."
Source: Jeb 2016, "Backgrounder: Jeb Bush’s Tax Reform Plan: The Reform and Growth Act of 2017," jeb2016.com, Sep. 9, 2015
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| Economy & Taxes |
None Found
Should the Federal Government Continue to Subsidize Oil Companies?
Withdrew on Feb. 20, 2016; no additional research done as of that date to determine candidate's position on this question.
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| Economy & Taxes |
Not Clearly Pro or Con
Should Any Federal Taxes Be Increased?
"Restoring the right to rise in America requires accelerating growth, and that can't be done without a complete overhaul of the U.S. tax code...
I want to lower taxes and make the tax code simple, fair and clear. It should be easy to understand and make it easy for people to fill out their own tax forms.
We will cut individual rates from seven brackets to three: 28%, 25% and 10%...
The plan nearly doubles the standard deduction now taken by roughly two-thirds of all filers. It eliminates the marriage penalty, expands the Earned Income Tax Credit, ends the death tax, retires the Alternative Minimum Tax and ends the employee’s share of the Social Security tax on earnings for workers older than 67...
Second, I want to eliminate the convoluted, lobbyist-created loopholes in the code. For years, wealthy individuals have deducted a much greater share of their income than everyone else. We will retain the deductibility of charitable contributions but cap the deductions used by the wealthy and Washington special interests, enabling tax-rate cuts across the board for everyone...
I will cut the corporate tax rate from 35%—the highest in the industrial world—to 20%."
Source: Jeb Bush, "Jeb Bush: Reform & Growth," jeb2016.com, Sep. 8, 2015
[Editor's Note: Jeb Bush has not signed the Americans for Tax Reform pledge to "oppose and veto any and all efforts to increase taxes." (accessed on Oct. 5, 2015)]
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| Economy & Taxes |
Con
Should There Be a Flat Tax on Income?
"I want to lower taxes and make the tax code simple, fair and clear…
We will cut individual rates from seven brackets to three: 28%, 25% and 10%. At 28%, the highest tax bracket would return to where it was when President Ronald Reagan signed into law his monumental and successful 1986 tax reform."
Source: Daniel J. Mitchell, "Jeb Bush's Pro-Growth Tax Plan Is Solid, But a Flat Tax Is Still the Gold Standard for Reform," forbes.com, Sep. 9, 2015
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| Economy & Taxes |
Not Clearly Pro or Con
Should Glass-Steagall Be Reinstated?
"I'm open to the idea [of reinstating the Glass-Steagall Act]... Glass-Steagall was a prohibition, was a wall, if you will, between investment banking and commercial banking... when that was eliminated we had these large global banks that created systemic risk. One way to deal with this is to restore Glass-Steagall...
The other way is to have higher capital requirements for large banks."
Source: Daniel Marans, "Jeb Bush 'Open to the Idea' of Reinstating Key Wall Street Regulation," huffingtonpost.com, Dec. 23, 2015
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| Economy & Taxes |
None Found
Should the US Return to the Gold Standard in Which Coin and Currency Are Backed by Gold?
Withdrew on Feb. 20, 2016; no additional research done as of that date to determine candidate's position on this question.
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| Economy & Taxes |
Con
Should Social Security Be Privatized?
"[Audience question] Why do you support your brother's plan to privatize social security?...
[Jeb Bush] I don't. It would have made sense back then, now we're way beyond that. What we need to do is reform Social Security to preserve it and protect for those that already have it, and to reform it in the logical ways where there is broad bipartisan consensus. Which is, over an extended period of time, to raise the retirement age, and raise the limit, the income cap limit. You can solve social security that way."
Source: C-SPAN, "Presidential Candidate Jeb Bush at the Iowa State Fair," c-span.org, Aug. 14, 2015
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| Economy & Taxes |
Pro
Is the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) Trade Agreement Good for America?
"I have no problem supporting TPP. We've worked with some of our most important allies in negotiations to help make this possible — and asked them to take political risks of their own to open their markets to American goods, agricultural products, and services...
I know there is political risk in supporting free trade. TPP is President Obama's biggest trade initiative...
It would strengthen our ties to our allies throughout the Pacific region, including our close allies and partners in Australia, Mexico and Japan. We could use more friends, frankly.
More than that, free trade is essential to creating the sustained, high rate of growth that we need to create well-paying jobs, new opportunities for American farmers and businesses, and even greater access to a global supply of goods and services."
Source: Jeb Bush, "Hillary Clinton's Politically Motivated Flip Flop on TPP Is Wrong," medium.com, Apr. 22, 2015
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| Education |
None Found
Is the Growth of Charter Schools Good for Education in America?
Withdrew on Feb. 20, 2016; no additional research done as of that date to determine candidate's position on this question.
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| Education |
None Found
Are the Common Core Standards Good for Education in America?
Withdrew on Feb. 20, 2016; no additional research done as of that date to determine candidate's position on this question.
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| Education |
None Found
Should K-12 Teachers Get Tenure?
Withdrew on Feb. 20, 2016; no additional research done as of that date to determine candidate's position on this question.
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| Education |
None Found
Should Any Public Colleges or Universities Be Tuition-Free?
Withdrew on Feb. 20, 2016; no additional research done as of that date to determine candidate's position on this question.
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| Elections |
Not Clearly Pro or Con
Was the Citizens United Supreme Court Decision Good for America?
"In a perfect world, I would say, which we don't have because the Supreme Court ruled as it did [on Citizens United], you'd have very few restrictions for candidates and total transparency. And no other means of participating in terms of contributions to the cause... I think accountability is really what matters, and so if someone wants to give you a lot of money, fine, but you ought to put it on the internet in 24 hours and you ought be held to account for whoever's giving you that dough.
How we get from where we are to that, I just don't think it's going to be happening any time soon."
Source: Josh McElveen, "Conversation with the Candidate: Jeb Bush (Web Extra)," wmur.com, May 29, 2015
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| Elections |
None Found
Should the Presidential Debates Include Third Party Candidates?
Withdrew on Feb. 20, 2016; no additional research done as of that date to determine candidate's position on this question.
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| Elections |
None Found
Should Felons Who Have Completed Their Sentences (Incarceration, Probation, and Parole) Be Allowed to Vote?
No position found as of Oct. 2, 2015
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| Elections |
Pro
Should Voters Be Required to Show Photo Identification in Order to Vote?
"Finally, states should be allowed to protect the integrity of the franchise with voter identification laws, which are supported by a large majority of Americans, including Hispanics. So long as states make it simple for citizens to obtain such forms of identification, they should have the latitude to require such identification for voting or to secure welfare benefits."
Source: Jeb Bush, Immigration Wars: Forging an American Solution, 2013
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| Elections |
None Found
Should US Election Campaigns Be Publicly Financed?
Withdrew on Feb. 20, 2016; no additional research done as of that date to determine candidate's position on this question.
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| Energy |
None Found
Should New Fossil Fuel Leases on Federal Land Be Allowed?
Withdrew on Feb. 20, 2016; no additional research done as of that date to determine candidate's position on this question.
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| Energy |
None Found
Should Fracking Be Allowed?
Withdrew on Feb. 20, 2016; no additional research done as of that date to determine candidate's position on this question.
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| Energy |
None Found
Should the United States Build Additional Nuclear Power Plants?
Withdrew on Feb. 20, 2016; no additional research done as of that date to determine candidate's position on this question.
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| Foreign Policy |
Not Clearly Pro or Con
Is China an Economic or Military Threat to the United States?
"[W]e need to be strong against China. We should use offensive tactics as it relates to cyber security, send a deterrent signal to China. There should be super sanctions in what President Obama has proposed. There's many other tools that we have without canceling a dinner. That's not going to change anything, but we can be much stronger as it relates to that."
Source: The Washington Post, "Wednesday's GOP Debate Transcript, Annotated," washingtonpost.com, Sep. 16, 2015
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| Foreign Policy |
Pro
Should the United States Maintain Its Embargo against Cuba?
"Secretary Clinton's call to abandon the embargo – and the principles of democracy and freedom for the Cuban people – in exchange for nothing in return from the regime in Havana adds insult to the pain they and their families feel…
The Obama-Clinton policy is rooted in a false narrative that paints the embargo as a relic of the Cold War. They claim to want to free Cuba from the past, but they misunderstand the present. The Cuban people are not imprisoned by the past, they are imprisoned by the Castro regime...
Hillary Clinton had it right when she once said – consistent with the law of the land – that removing the embargo should come only when Cuba is on the path to democracy…
I long for the day when the Cuban people are free from oppression and free to choose their own leaders, and, if elected President, I will be committed to helping them achieve that long-denied liberty."
Source: Jeb Bush, "Statement: Jeb Bush on Hillary Clinton's Endorsement of Ending Cuban Embargo," jeb2016.com (accessed Sep. 30, 2015)
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| Foreign Policy |
Con
Is the Nuclear Arms Deal with Iran Good for America?
"The nuclear agreement announced by the Obama Administration today is a dangerous, deeply flawed, and short sighted deal.
A comprehensive agreement should require Iran to verifiably abandon – not simply delay – its pursuit of a nuclear weapons capability...
The clerical leaders in Tehran routinely preach 'death to America' and 'death to Israel' – and through their acts of terror, they mean it. We must take these threats seriously and should not base any agreements on the hope their behavior will moderate over time.
The people of Iran, the region, Israel, America, and the world deserve better than a deal that consolidates the grip on power of the violent revolutionary clerics who rule Tehran with an iron fist.
This isn't diplomacy – it is appeasement."
Source: Jeb Bush, "Jeb Bush on the Obama Administration's Nuclear Deal with Iran," jeb2016.com, July 14, 2015
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| Foreign Policy |
Pro
Should There Be an Independent Palestinian State?
"Israel and America must work together to build a more prosperous and hopeful future for the region. A state for the Palestinian people, side by side with Israel, will be possible only if the Palestinian people are represented by leaders committed to delivering on the promises made at the negotiating table."
Source: Jeb Bush, "On Israel and Iran, President Obama Mistakes Friend and Foe," nationalreview.com, Mar. 25, 2015
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| Guns / Second Amendment |
Con
Should More Gun Control Laws Be Enacted?
"In this particular case [the Emanuel AME church shooting in Charleston, SC], the FBI made a mistake. The law itself requires a background check, but that didn't fulfill their part of the bargain within the time that they were supposed to do.
We don't need to add new rules, we need to make sure the FBI does its job. Because that person [Dylann Roof], should not have gotten a gun, should not -- would not have passed a background check. The first impulse of Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton is to take rights away from law- abiding citizens…
I think we need to focus on what the bigger issue is. It isn't law-abiding gun owners.
Look, I have an A plus rating in the NRA and we also have a reduction in gun violence because in Florida, if you commit a crime with a gun, you're going away. You're going away for a long, long while."
Source: Washington Post, "6th Republican Debate Transcript, Annotated: Who Said What and What It Meant," washingtonpost.com, Jan. 14, 2016
[Editor's Note: In 1998, while campaigning for Governor of Florida, Jeb Bush supported statewide background checks for firearm purchases at gun shows.]
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| Guns / Second Amendment |
None Found
Should Schools Be Gun-Free Zones?
Withdrew on Feb. 20, 2016; no additional research done as of that date to determine candidate's position on this question.
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| Guns / Second Amendment |
None Found
Should the Federal Government Study Gun Violence?
No position found as of Jan. 13, 2016
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| Guns / Second Amendment |
Pro
Should People on the No-Fly List or the Terror Watch List Be Allowed to Purchase Guns?
"[I]f the FBI knows that someone's [a terrorist] in our country and they're tracking them, they shouldn't be able to get guns for sure.
But the no-fly list is a much broader list. It's not an accurate list to be able to use for restricting gun rights for law-abiding citizens…
[I]f you're tracking someone who you believe may be a terrorist, of course they shouldn't get guns.
The FBI has that capability right now."
Source: ABC News, "'This Week' Transcript: Hillary Clinton and Jeb Bush," abcnews.go.com, Dec. 6, 2015
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| Health Care, Abortion, & End of Life Issues |
Not Clearly Pro or Con
Should Abortion Be Legal?
"Here's my record: As governor of the state of Florida, I defunded Planned Parenthood. I created a culture of life in our state...
We were the only state to appropriate money for crisis pregnancy centers. We expand dramatically the number adoptions out of our foster care system. We did parental notification laws. We ended partial-birth abortion. We did all of this and we were the first state to do a 'choose life' license plate. Now 29 states have done it, and tens of millions of dollars have gone to create a culture where more people, more babies are adopted...
My record is clear. My record as a pro-life governor is not in dispute. I am completely pro-life, and I believe that we should have a culture of life. It's informed by my faith from beginning to end...
And I did this not just as it related to unborn babies; I did it at the end of life issues as well. This is something that goes way beyond politics. And I hope one day we get to the point where we respect life in its fullest form across the board."
Source: CBS News, "Transcript of the 2015 GOP Debate (9 pm)," cbsnews.com, Aug. 7, 2015
[Editor's Note: Because our question specifically asks whether abortion should be "legal," if a candidate states that they are pro-life but does not advocate changing the law to make abortion illegal (for example, by overturning Roe v. Wade or supporting a constitutional amendment to do so), then we list them as “Not Clearly Pro or Con.” In addition to the Not Clearly Pro or Con (NC) statement above, Jeb Bush also made the following (NC) statement during his 1998 gubernatorial bid, as quoted in the Jan. 30, 2015 article "Jeb Bush's Conservative Bid For Governor: The Highlight Reel," available at huffingtonpost.com:
"I believe that life begins at conception. I do not believe that the question of abortion will be solved until there is a broad consensus on the subject and until that time it is inappropriate to be advocating constitutional amendments. This is a typical wedge issue that politicians use today to strike fear that somehow people's rights are going to be taken away... I will not be leading the charge to overturn the constitution on this issue."]
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| Health Care, Abortion, & End of Life Issues |
None Found
Should Any Vaccines Be Required for Children?
Withdrew on Feb. 20, 2016; no additional research done as of that date to determine candidate's position on this question.
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| Health Care, Abortion, & End of Life Issues |
Con
Is Obamacare Good for America?
"I was disappointed by last week's Supreme Court ruling in the King v. Burwell case. But that decision is not the end of the fight against ObamaCare.
This fatally-flawed law imposes job-killing mandates, causes spending in Washington to skyrocket by $1.7 trillion, raises taxes by over a $1 trillion and drives up health care costs. Instead of fixing our health care system, it made the problems worse...
I will work with Congress to repeal and replace this flawed law with conservative reforms that empower consumers with more choices and control over their health care decisions."
Source: Jeb Bush, "This Is Not the End of the Fight against Obamacare," jeb2016.com, June 25, 2015
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| Health Care, Abortion, & End of Life Issues |
Pro
Should Parental Consent Be Required for Pregnant Minors to Have Abortions?
"As president, I would move, through patient persuasion, toward protecting more and more unborn children from abortion…
I used persuasion and incremental change to build a culture of life in Florida. We banned partial-birth abortion and required parental notification before minors could have abortions. We forced abortion clinics to abide by basic health and safety standards for women."
Source: Jeb Bush, "Jeb: As President I Will Move to Protect More Unborn Children from Abortion," jeb2016.com, Jan. 22, 2016
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| Health Care, Abortion, & End of Life Issues |
Con
Should Euthanasia or Physician-Assisted Suicide Be Legal?
"Florida respects the liberty interest of those who would prospectively refuse life-prolonging procedures, but 'imposes criminal responsibility on those who assist others in committing suicide.'...
Denying oral sustenance [to Terri Schiavo] would... unnecessarily and without legal warrant extend the state privacy right to incorporate the right to terminate one's life through means beyond declining life-prolonging procedures…"
Source: Property Rights Research, "Memorandum of Amicus Curiae Jeb Bush, Governor of the State of Florida, in Support of Plaintiff's Motion for Preliminary Injunction," propertyrightsresearch.org, Oct. 7, 2003
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| Health Care, Abortion, & End of Life Issues |
Con
Should Planned Parenthood Receive Federal Funding?
"With regards to women's health funding broadly, I misspoke, as there are countless community health centers, rural clinics, and other women's health organizations that need to be fully funded. They provide critical services to all, but particularly low-income women who don’t have the access they need.
I was referring to the hard-to-fathom $500 million in federal funding that goes to Planned Parenthood – an organization that was callously participating in the unthinkable practice of selling fetal organs. Democrats and Republicans agree we absolutely must defund them and redirect those funds to other women's health organizations."
Source: Jeb Bush, "Jeb Bush Statement on Federal Funding for Planned Parenthood,” jeb2016.com, Aug. 4, 2015
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| Health Care, Abortion, & End of Life Issues |
Not Clearly Pro or Con
Should All Americans Have the Right (Be Entitled) to Health Care?
"As a great country we need to make sure that there's adequate access to healthcare."
Source: Jeb Bush, "Protect and Secure Medicare for Future Generations," jeb2016.com, July 23, 2015
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| Immigration |
Not Clearly Pro or Con
Should the Federal Government Use Raids to Enforce Immigration Laws?
"Twelve million illegal immigrants, to send them back, 500,000 a month, is just not — not possible. And it's not embracing American values. And it would tear communities apart. And it would send a signal that we're not the kind of country that I know America is."
Source: Charlotte Alter, "Transcript: Read the Full Text of the Fourth Republican Debate in Milwaukee,” time.com, Nov. 11, 2015
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| Immigration |
Pro
Should Checking Employee Immigration Status (as in the E-Verify Program) Be Mandatory for All Employers?
"Many illegal immigrants come to the United States for jobs and, despite the prohibition on hiring illegal immigrants, they are hired in large numbers. If we decrease the likelihood of being employed, crossing the border will be less rewarding...
We need a strong E-Verify system to ensure that American businesses are not hiring illegal immigrants. E-Verify is an Internet-based system that allows businesses to determine the eligibility of their employees to work in the United States. Employers should not be penalized if they use E-Verify in good faith and receive an incorrect eligibility confirmation. Identity theft protections are also necessary. Finally, with an improved E-Verify, the government must enforce penalties for violations."
Source: Jeb 2016, "Border Security," jeb2016.com (accessed Nov. 6, 2015)
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| Immigration |
Pro
Should the United States Continue to Build the Fence/Wall along the US-Mexico Border?
"As noted in Immigration Wars, fencing is a component of border security. When combined with surveillance technology and agents to detect and respond to crossings, fencing or other barriers can serve several purposes, including: (1) deterring illegal entries by making it more difficult to cross the border, (2) facilitating enforcement by increasing the time available to respond and apprehend people, and (3) steering dangerous criminals and traffickers away from populated areas, improving public safety. Sufficient funding should be provided to maintain, improve, and expand fences where appropriate (e.g., based on the terrain along the border or the proximity of populated areas)."
Source: Jeb Bush, "Securing the Border and Enforcing Our Immigration Laws," jeb2016.com, Aug. 3, 2015
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| Immigration |
Pro
Should Undocumented Immigrants in the United States Be Allowed to Become Legal Residents?
"I believe that for those already in the country, we need to put in place a rigorous path that requires individuals to pass a thorough criminal background check, pay fines, pay taxes, learn English, obtain a provisional work permit and work, not receive federal government assistance, and over an extended period of time earn legal status. But any plan to address the status of illegal immigrants must be accompanied by a robust strategy to improve border security."
Source: Jeb Bush, "Jeb on Immigration," jeb2016.com, Aug. 5, 2015
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| Immigration |
Con
Should Sanctuary Cities Continue to Receive Federal Funding for Law Enforcement?
"Crack down on sanctuary cities that undermine efforts to enforce immigration laws.
We should withhold federal law enforcement funds for cities that undermine federal immigration laws and make sure we detain and deport illegal immigrants who are serious criminals. We should also expand federal partnerships that train state and local police to help enforce immigration laws, particularly in jails and prisons. When I was Governor of Florida, the state was a trailblazer in working with the federal government to enforce immigration laws."
Source: Jeb Bush, "Securing the Border and Enforcing Our Immigration Laws," jeb2016.com, Aug. 3, 2015
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| Immigration |
Now Not Clearly Pro or Con
Should the United States Allow Syrian Refugees into the Country?
"Unfortunately, after the terrorist attacks in Paris, President Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton have chosen to criticize leaders for raising concerns about the administration’' proposal to bring tens of thousands of refugees into the United States...
The best way for America to show compassion and protect our homeland would be to provide safe zones in Syria and destroy the root causes of the refugee crisis in the region — ISIS and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad...
Given the reports that ISIS seeks to hide among refugees, that at least one of the attackers in Paris may have been a refugee, and bipartisan concerns about the refugee screening process in Congress, the pause in bringing refugees to this country that passed the House of Representatives this week is both sensible and appropriate...
America has a great moral tradition of taking in persecuted peoples throughout the world, and we should not turn our back now.
That is why I've outlined a strategy to address this humanitarian tragedy, protect the Christian and other religious minorities that are being eradicated in the Middle East, defeat the terrorists and Assad, confront Iranian aggression and end this conflict on terms favorable to the United States and its allies. That is a President's job."
Source: Jeb Bush, "Jeb: Presidents Should Lead, Not Lecture," jeb2016.com, Nov. 20, 2015
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| Labor & Wages |
None Found
Should the Federal Government Guarantee Paid Family and Medical Leave?
Withdrew on Feb. 20, 2016; no additional research done as of that date to determine candidate's position on this question.
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| Labor & Wages |
Con
Should the Federal Minimum Wage Be Increased?
"We need to leave it to the private sector. I think state minimum wages are fine. The federal government shouldn't be doing this. This is one of those poll-driven deals. It polls well, I'm sure – I haven't looked at the polling, but I'm sure on the surface without any conversation, without any digging into it people say, 'Yea, everybody's wages should be up.' And in the case of Wal-Mart they have raised wages because of supply and demand and that's good…
But the federal government doing this will make it harder and harder for the first rung of the ladder to be reached, particularly for young people, particularly for people that have less education."
Source: Steve Benen, "Jeb Bush Makes the Case against the Federal Minimum Wage," msnbc.com, Mar. 18, 2015
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| Labor & Wages |
None Found
Do Labor Unions Provide an Overall Benefit to Their Workers in the United States?
Withdrew on Feb. 20, 2016; no additional research done as of that date to determine candidate's position on this question.
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| Marijuana & Alcohol |
None Found
Should the Minimum Legal Drinking Age Be Lowered from 21 to a Younger Age?
Withdrew on Feb. 20, 2016; no additional research done as of that date to determine candidate's position on this question.
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| Marijuana & Alcohol |
Not Clearly Pro or Con
Should Marijuana Be a Medical Option?
"In medical marijuana states? I don't know... I think that states ought to have a right to decide these things. I think the federal government’s role in our lives is way too-overreaching...
But having said that, if you're in Colorado and you can purchase marijuana openly, should people in Wyoming not be concerned about that? And I think there, maybe, the federal law needs to be looked at -- interstate commerce."
Source: Marc Caputo, "Jeb Bush Conflicted over Feds Role in Medical-Marijuana Enforcement," miamiherald.com, Aug. 15, 2014
[Editor's Note: Jeb Bush publically opposed Florida's 2014 ballot initiative to legalize medical marijuana. He stated the following on Aug. 14, 2014: "Florida leaders and citizens have worked for years to make the Sunshine State a world-class location to start or run a business, a family-friendly destination for tourism and a desirable place to raise a family or retire... Allowing large-scale, marijuana operations to take root across Florida, under the guise of using it for medicinal purposes, runs counter to all of these efforts. I strongly urge Floridians to vote against Amendment 2 this November."]
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| Marijuana & Alcohol |
Not Clearly Pro or Con
Should Recreational Marijuana Be Legal?
"I think that states ought to have a right to decide these things. I think the federal government's role in our lives is way too-overreaching…
But having said that, if you're in Colorado and you can purchase marijuana openly, should people in Wyoming not be concerned about that? And I think there, maybe, the federal law needs to be looked at -- interstate commerce."
Source: Marc Caputo, "Jeb Bush Conflicted over Feds Role in Medical-Marijuana Enforcement," miamiherald.com, Aug. 15, 2014
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| Military & War on Terror |
None Found
Should the United States and Russia Collaborate to Combat Terrorism?
Withdrew on Feb. 20, 2016; no additional research done as of that date to determine candidate's position on this question.
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| Military & War on Terror |
None Found
Should the United States Continue Its Use of Drone Strikes Abroad?
No position found as of Oct. 5, 2015
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| Military & War on Terror |
Pro
Should the United States Send Ground Troops to Fight ISIS?
"What happened on the streets of Paris on Friday should not come as a surprise. After all, we have seen ISIS expand its deadly reach in recent weeks to Lebanon, to Egypt, and to Turkey – to say nothing of the daily horrors faced by those who live under their control in Syria, Iraq, Libya, and Afghanistan...
We are at war with radical Islamic terrorism. It is the war of our time, and a struggle that will determine the fate of the free world...
Since the attacks in Paris, the demand for action to stamp out ISIS has rightly grown. The United States should not delay in leading a global coalition to take out ISIS with overwhelming force...
Militarily, we need to intensify our efforts in the air – and on the ground. While air power is essential, it alone cannot bring the results we seek. The United States – in conjunction with our NATO allies and more Arab partners – will need to increase our presence on the ground...
Radical Islamic terrorists have declared war on the western world. Their aim is our total destruction. We can't withdraw from this threat, or negotiate with it. We have but one choice: to defeat it."
Source: Jeb Bush, "Full Remarks: A US Defense Policy for the 21st Century," jeb2016.com, Nov. 18, 2015
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| Military & War on Terror |
None Found
Should the United States Close the Guantanamo Bay Detention Camp?
Withdrew on Feb. 20, 2016; no additional research done as of that date to determine candidate's position on this question.
Source:
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| Military & War on Terror |
None Found
Should the US Have Attacked Iraq in 2003?
Withdrew on Feb. 20, 2016; no additional research done as of that date to determine candidate's position on this question.
Source:
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| Military & War on Terror |
Pro
Should the US Military Budget Be Increased?
"[M]ilitary power must be rebuilt to provide for the common defense… Due to budget cuts and the sequester because of the dysfunction in Washington, we are on the path of only spending two and a half percent of GDP on defense by the end of this decade. This is really dangerous.
The president should call on leaders of both parties to fix the budget and to address the short falls in our defense spending. He should show leadership and a commitment to solving this problem. And the next president should launch a strategic review of our military strategy so that we meet 21st century needs with a 21st century defense capability. Then we should fund that strategy, rather than the other way around.
Our military is not a discretionary expense. It is an essential asset to keep the homeland safe and for the world to be a more secure place."
Source: Jim Geraghty, "What You Need to Read in Jeb Bush's Foreign Policy Address," nationalreview.com, Feb. 19, 2015
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| Military & War on Terror |
None Found
Should the United States Have Mandatory National Service (Military or Civilian)?
Withdrew on Feb. 20, 2016; no additional research done as of that date to determine candidate's position on this question.
Source:
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| Military & War on Terror |
Pro
Should the National Security Agency (NSA) Continue to Collect Phone and Email Metadata on US Citizens?
"There's no evidence, not a shred of evidence, that the metadata program has violated anybody's civil liberties…
The first duty of our national government is to protect the homeland. And this has been an effective tool, along with many others, and the Patriot Act ought to be reauthorized, as is."
Source: Kyle Balluck, "Bush: NSA Metadata Program 'Not a Violation of Civil Liberties,'" thehill.com, May 31, 2015
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| Military & War on Terror |
Not Clearly Pro or Con
Should Interrogation Techniques That Some Consider Torture, Such as Waterboarding, Be a Legal Option?
"[Moderator] Do you believe that the CIA engaged in torture, by the common definition, and would you bring those techniques back under any circumstances as President?
[Jeb Bush] I don't want to make a definitive, blanket kind of statement… I'm cautious about making commitments without having all the facts because this is a serious undertaking.
I do think in general that torture is not appropriate, it's not as effective, and the change of policy that my brother did [President George W. Bush], and then was put into executive order form by the President [Obama] was the proper thing to do. I also would say that right after 9/11, I mean, we were attacked, and, uh, my presid — my brother — and I'm not saying this because I'm a Bush, I'm saying this because I love this country just like everybody in this room — I'm proud of what he did to create a secure environment for our country."
Source: Americans for Peace Prosperity and Security, "National Security Forum with Jeb Bush – Iowa," peaceprosperitysecurity.org, Aug. 13, 2015
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| Military & War on Terror |
Not Clearly Pro or Con
Should the Veterans Health Administration Be Privatized?
Withdrew on Feb. 20, 2016; no additional research done as of that date to determine candidate's position on this question.
Source:
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| Military & War on Terror |
None Found
Should Women Be Allowed to Serve in Military Combat Positions?
Withdrew on Feb. 20, 2016; no additional research done as of that date to determine candidate's position on this question.
Source:
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| Race |
Con
Should Colleges and Universities Use Affirmative Action for Admissions?
"Whereas, the use of racial and gender set-asides, preferences and quotas is generally inconsistent with the obligation of government to treat all individuals as equals without respect to race or gender…
It is the policy of my Administration to support equal educational opportunities for all qualified Floridians, to prohibit discrimination in education because of race, gender, creed, color or national origin, and to promote the full realization of equal educational opportunities throughout the State.
I hereby request that the Board of Regents implement a policy prohibiting the use of racial or gender set-asides, preferences or quotas in admissions to all Florida Institutions of Higher Education, effective immediately."
Source: Jeb Bush, "Executive Order 99-281," dms.myflorida.com, Nov. 9, 1999
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| Race |
Not Clearly Pro or Con
Is the Black Lives Matter Movement Good for America?
"We're so uptight and so politically correct now that we apologize for saying lives matter?...
Life is precious. It's a gift from God. I mean, I frankly think it's one of the most important values that we have. I know in the political context it's a slogan, [black lives matter] I guess…
Should he [Martin O'Malley] have apologized, no? If he believes that white lives matter, which I hope he does, then he shouldn't apologize to a group [Black Lives Matter] that seems to disagree with it."
Source: Adam B. Lerner, "Bush: O'Malley Shouldn't Have Apologized for Saying 'All Lives Matter,'" politico.com, July 23, 2015
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| Race |
None Found
Is the Criminal Justice System Unfair to Black People?
Withdrew on Feb. 20, 2016; no additional research done as of that date to determine candidate's position on this question.
Source:
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| Science & Environment |
Not Clearly Pro or Con
Is Human Activity Primarily Responsible for Global Climate Change?
"The climate is changing; I don't think anybody can argue it's not. Human activity has contributed to it. I think we have a responsibility to adapt to what the possibilities are without destroying our economy, without hollowing out our industrial core.
I think it's appropriate to recognize this and invest in the proper research to find solutions over the long haul but not be alarmists about it. We should not say the end is near, not deindustrialize the country, not create barriers for higher growth, not just totally obliterate family budgets, which some on the left advocate by saying we should raise the price of energy so high that renewables then become viable.
U.S. emissions of greenhouse gasses are down to the same levels emitted in the mid-1990s, even though we have 50 million more people. A big reason for this success is the energy revolution which was created by American ingenuity—not federal regulations."
Source: Bloomberg BNA, "Jeb Bush Takes Positions on Climate Change, EPA Rules, Other Energy Issues," bna.com, July 30, 2015
|
| Science & Environment |
Con
Should Genetically Modified (GMO) Foods Have Mandatory Labeling?
"The GMO effort to increase yields, to deal with droughts, to deal with disease... creates economic opportunity and progress and prosperity. We should not be trying to make it harder for that kind of innovation to exist, we should celebrate it. So, as it relates to the labeling efforts, state by state, all these things, I think that’s a solution for a problem that doesn’t exist. We shouldn't be adding burdens to this innovation that makes it possible for us to be the greatest producer of food to the largest number of people in the world."
Source: Scott Galindez, "Jeb Bush on GMO's," YouTube.com, Mar. 8, 2015
|
| Science & Environment |
Pro
Should the United States Authorize the Keystone XL Pipeline to Import Tar Sand Oil from Canada?
"Construction of the Keystone pipeline is a no brainer. It moves us toward energy independence and creates jobs. The President's politically motivated veto of the pipeline is an example of how this administration supports policies that suppress economic growth."
Source: Bloomberg BNA, "Jeb Bush Takes Positions on Climate Change, EPA Rules, Other Energy Issues," bna.com, July 30, 2015
|
| Science & Environment |
None Found
Should the United States Transition Away from Fossil Fuels and Towards Renewable Energy?
Withdrew on Feb. 20, 2016; no additional research done as of that date to determine candidate's position on this question.
Source:
|
| Sex & Gender |
Con
Was the US Supreme Court Decision Legalizing Same-Sex Marriage a Good Decision?
"Guided by my faith, I believe in traditional marriage. I believe the Supreme Court should have allowed the states to make this decision. I also believe that we should love our neighbor and respect others, including those making lifetime commitments. In a country as diverse as ours, good people who have opposing views should be able to live side by side. It is now crucial that as a country we protect religious freedom and the right of conscience and also not discriminate."
Source: Jeb Bush, "Statement: Governor Jeb Bush on Today’s Supreme Court Decision on Same-Sex Marriage," jeb2016.com, June 26, 2015
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| Sex & Gender |
None Found
Should Religious Liberty Give People the Right to Deny Goods and Services for Gay Marriage?
Withdrew on Feb. 20, 2016; no additional research done as of that date to determine candidate's position on this question.
Source:
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| Sex & Gender |
None Found
Should Transgender People Be Allowed to Use the Bathroom of Their Choice?
Withdrew on Feb. 20, 2016; no additional research done as of that date to determine candidate's position on this question.
Source:
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