Jeb Bush Suggests Republicans Should Pass Amnesty if They Win Back Senate

Even though Republicans may take back the Senate by running against amnesty, former Florida Governor Jeb Bush pushed amnesty legislation while stumping for North Carolina Republican Senate candidate Thom Tillis on Wednesday.

Bush, according to the New York Times, reportedly said that comprehensive immigration reform “will restore and sustain economic growth for this country.” And even though a recent Gallup poll found that illegal immigration is now the top concern among Republicans, Bush said that if immigration reform is “framed in that way, I don’t think there’s a big debate in the Republican Party about the need to do this.”

“And my hope is with a Republican-controlled Senate, we can begin to see a conversation about how to go about doing that,” Bush reportedly said. 

President Barack Obama delayed his executive amnesty to help Senate Democrats retain the Senate, and Tillis reportedly said, “You have to make it clear that amnesty shouldn’t be on the table.” But Tillis still left open an eventual path to legalization for illegal immigrants, reportedly saying, “that doesn’t negate any opportunity to provide some with legal status and other things, but you only do that after you seal the borders and you make the problem no longer grow.” Incumbent Sen. Kay Hagan (D-NC) has come under fire for her shifting positions on amnesty.

This week, Bush held a reception in Florida for Senate candidates “Tom Cotton of Arkansas, Joni Ernst of Iowa, Cory Gardner of Colorado, Dan Sullivan of Alaska, and Monica Wehby of Oregon.” Politico reported: “several of his friends think he is leaning more yes than no” on a presidential run as he does “a lot of under-the-radar prep, including foreign policy tutoring and meetings with tech gurus.” 

Bush, who earlier this year said that illegal immigration is an “act of love,” has continued to push for increases in high-tech visas, like he did at this year’s “Davos in the Desert” conference in Arizona.  

Bush also reportedly pushed Common Core in his appearance with Tillis, even though, as the Tampa Bay Times recently wrote, Bush’s embrace of Common Core makes his presidential chances “look more dubious.” 

As CNN reported, Bush will also attend an October 23 fundraiser for South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, which will be his first trip to the first-in-the-south primary state while he tests the waters for a potential presidential bid.