The first major economic speech from former Florida governor turned possible presidential candidate, Jeb Bush, saw him state that there should be a 4% growth in the economy of the United States every year and that the nation needs to make it easier for high-skilled immigrants to live and work in the country.
Giving a speech at the Detroit Economic Club, Bush declared that he wanted to give parents more choice by giving the nation’s schools an overhaul and said that he was in favor of promoting traditional two-parent families. He also called for a dramatic expansion in the amount of skilled immigrants allowed to come to the United States to work, saying that overhauling the country’s immigration system was not so much a problem as a “huge opportunity”.
“While the political fights go on, we’re missing this opportunity,” Bush declared. “I view fixing a broken system as a huge opportunity to get to that 4% growth. We can grow by 4% through all sorts of policies, but immigration has to be a part of it.” Bush has long supported the notion of comprehensive immigration reform and has of late been raising money to support an anticipated run for president.
The growing Hispanic population in the United States shunned the Republican Party in the 2012 election after its nominee for president, Mitt Romney, suggested that undocumented immigrants should deport themselves. Many Republicans believe that the party must change its attitude to immigration to have any hope of taking the White House next year.
