Jeb Bush is a Republican politician in the United States. Bush was governor of Florida from 1999 to 2007. He was a candidate for the Republican nomination for president of the United States in the 2016 election.
Political orientation In 2013, statistician Nate Silver "constructed ideological scores for a set of plausible 2016 Republican candidates based on a combination of three statistical indices."Nate Silver, Is Jeb Bush Too Liberal to Win the Republican Nomination in 2016?, FiveThirtyEight (December 16, 2014). Bush's ideological score on this scale was similar to that of previous Republican nominees John McCain and Mitt Romney. A January 2015 Bloomberg News analysis suggested that Jeb Bush is more conservative than former presidents George W. Bush (Jeb's brother) and George H. W. Bush (Jeb's father).Arit John, Bush vs. Bush vs. Bush: Which Bush is Most Conservative? You Might Be Surprised, Bloomberg Politics (January 13, 2015). Ramesh Ponnuru of the conservative National Review, writes that "Despite his reputation for moderation, on issue after issue Jeb has taken positions that are significantly to the right of his brother's — and of every other president in recent memory."Ramesh Ponnuru, Comparing the Bushes, National Review (October 23, 2015) (excerpting Ramesh Ponnuru, Jeb Bush: More Conservative Than You Think, Bloomberg View (October 23, 2015)).
Before winning two terms as governor, Bush lost his first run for governor of Florida in 1994 to the incumbent Democratic Governor, Lawton Chiles.Andrew Prokop, The Jeb Bush formula: How the staunch conservative learned to talk moderate — and win, Vox (June 15, 2015) In his 1994 race, Bush "called himself a 'head-banging conservative.'" Andrew Prokop of Vox writes that after his loss in the 1994 election, Bush retained very conservative beliefs and policies, but sought to adopt a more moderate image.
Bush was subsequently elected governor for two terms in office, from 1999 to 2007. Darryl Paulson, professor emeritus of government at the University of South Florida, said: "[Bush] governed as a conservative, and everyone in the Florida Republican Party considered him a conservative." Adam C. Smith, political editor of the Tampa Bay Times, writes that "Bush was not just a successful Republican governor politically; he was a conservative activist governor who relished pushing the envelope on policy."Adam C. Smith, Adam C. Smith: Jeb Bush, a moderate squish? Florida knows different, Tampa Bay Times (December 5, 2014). Steve Schmidt, senior campaign advisor to McCain in the 2008 presidential campaign, stated that at the time Bush left office as governor of Florida, "he was widely, unanimously, unambiguously regarded as the most conservative governor in the United States."Brian E. Crowley, Five myths about Jeb Bush, Washington Post, (June 19, 2015). Political scientist Susan MacManus of the University of South Florida, said: "In Florida, [Bush is] still perceived as conservative, especially on fiscal issues and even on social issues."
In a February 2015 question-and-answer session with Sean Hannity at the CPAC conference, Bush stated: "I would describe myself as a practicing, reform-minded conservative."Shane Goldmacher, Jeb Bush Survives CPAC. But Does He Have a Conservative Media Problem?, National Journal (February 25, 2015).
Bush has been criticized by some Tea Party members as being insufficiently conservative, as he supports positions on immigration and the Common Core State Standards Initiative that are unpopular with some conservatives.Collinson, Stephen and Reston, Maeve, Jeb Bush's Conservative Evolution, CNN (January 28, 2015).
Domestic issues
Abortion Bush supports legislation to ban abortion after 20 weeks, making exceptions for the life of the mother, rape, or incest. In August 2015, Bush said: "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."Marcotte, Amanda. It's Awesome How Much the GOP Candidates Are Talking About Reproductive Rights, Slate (August 7, 2015). In 2003, Bush described himself as "probably the most pro-life governor in modern times."Laura Basset, Jeb Bush is to the Right of George W. on Abortion (March 25, 2015).
As governor, Bush signed a parental notification act into law and supported the creation of a "Choose Life" specialty license plate.Arit John, Which Bush is Most Conservative? You Might Be Surprised (January 13, 2015). In 2003, Bush attracted national media attention after his administration sought the appointment of a guardian for the fetus of a developmentally disabled rape victim, a move which "angered women's rights groups and reignited the debate over abortion in Florida."Dana Canedy, Gov. Jeb Bush to Seek Guardian for Fetus of Rape Victim, New York Times (May 15, 2003). In 2005, Bush sought to block a 13-year-old pregnant girl who had lived in a state-licensed group home from obtaining an abortion; a judge ruled against the state, and Bush decided not to appeal further.Maya Bell, Gov. Bush, DCF end effort to block 13-year-old's abortion, Orlando Sentinel (May 4, 2005).Associated Press, Judge approves abortion for 13-year-old (May 3, 2006).
Bush supports the defunding of Planned Parenthood.Amanda Terkel, Jeb Bush Adviser Says Governor Backs Defunding Planned Parenthood, Huffington Post (April 27, 2015). In July 2015, Bush called for a congressional investigation of Planned Parenthood in connection with an undercover video controversy.Eli Stokols, Jeb Bush: Congress should investigate Planned Parenthood, Politico (July 22, 2015).Ed O'Keefe, Jeb Bush: Congress 'has every right to investigate' Planned Parenthood videos, Washington Post (July 22, 2015). In August 2015, Bush said, "I, for one, don't think Planned Parenthood ought to get a penny ... And that's the difference because they're not actually doing women's health issues. They're involved in something way different than that."Lauren Carroll, Jeb Bush: Planned Parenthood isn't involved in women's health, Politifact (August 26, 2015).Michelle Ye Hee, Jeb Bush's false claim that Planned Parenthood is 'not actually doing women's health issues', Washington Post Fact Checker (August 26, 2015). The Washington Post "Fact Checker" column said that this statement was a "false claim" and "patently incorrect," and Politifact rated it "Pants on Fire," with both noting that Planned Parenthood provides a wide array of women's health services.
In October 2015, Bush said on Fox News Sunday that he opposed shutting down the government in an attempt to defund Planned Parenthood, as some congressional Republicans have pushed for. Bush stated: "That's not how democracy works."Michael Barbaro, Jeb Bush Opposes Shutdown Over Planned Parenthood Funding; Carly Fiorina Doesn't. New York Times (September 27, 2015).
As governor of Florida, Bush used his line-item veto to eliminate funding for Planned Parenthood affiliates in Florida, which had previously used state funds to provide pap smears, sexually transmitted disease screening and treatment, and family planning services to poor women.Gillin, Joshua. Jeb Bush says he cut off funding to Planned Parenthood as governor, Politifact (August 7, 2015). Bush redirected those funds to abstinence-only sex education programs.Laura Bassett, Jeb Bush Redirected Planned Parenthood Money To Abstinence-Only Education As Governor, Huffington Post (August 5, 2015).
Affirmative action In early 2015, Bush touted an executive order that he issued as governor of Florida which limited affirmative action. In November 1999, as governor of Florida, Bush issued a "One Florida" executive order banning affirmative action in the State University System of Florida.David Mark, Jeb Bush talks a lot about his Florida affirmative action ban. An all-night protest in 2000 tried to derail it, Washington Post (April 7, 2015). Bush stated that he issued the order to head off a more-restrictive Ward Connerly-backed ballot initiative.Pema Levy, How Jeb Bush Alienated African American Voters by Ending Affirmative Action, Mother Jones (May 4, 2015). The order was controversial, particularly among Black Americans, and led to a widely publicized sit-in in Bush's Florida State Capitol office by two Democratic state legislators, Senator Kendrick Meek and Representative Tony Hill. Following the Bush executive order, black enrollment at state universities (and especially at the University of Florida and Florida State University) has declined.Robert Samuels, After Bush order, Florida universities cope with shrinking black enrollment, Washington Post (April 6, 2015).
Civil liberties and electronic surveillance Bush supports the USA Patriot Act, and criticized efforts to stop its reauthorization. Bush stated that opponents of the Act's reauthorization were "wrong" and that "the Patriot Act has kept us safe, plain and simple. The metadata program has kept us safe, plain and simple. There's been no violation of civil liberties."Erik Schelzig, Jeb Bush says Rand Paul 'wrong' on ending surveillance laws, Associated Press (May 31, 2015).
Bush supports the continued collection of metadata of phone calls by the National Security Agency. In a February 2015 speech, Bush said that the NSA metadata domestic-surveillance program was "hugely important" and said that he was perplexed at the opposition to the program: "For the life of me I don't understand, the debate has gotten off track."Ashley Killough, Jeb Bush defends NSA dragnet, CNN (February 18, 2015).Dustin Volz, Jeb Bush Defends NSA Mass Surveillance as 'Hugely Important', National Journal (February 18, 2015). In August 2015, Bush said that he favored expanded government surveillance of Americans to "make sure that evildoers aren't in our midst."Katie Bo Williams, Bush calls for broader government surveillance (August 19, 2015).Associated Press, Jeb Bush: NSA Needs Broader Powers To Combat 'Evildoers' (August 18, 2015). Bush said that encryption "makes it harder for the American government to do its job" and called for more cooperation between the government and U.S. technology companies. Bush stated, "There's a place to find common ground between personal civil liberties and [the National Security Agency] doing its job. I think the balance has actually gone the wrong way."Jenna McLaughlin, Jeb Bush Comes Out Against Encryption, The Intercept (August 19, 2015). In a December 2015 interview on Fox and Friends, Bush said of the bulk collection of phone call metadata, Bush said: "This is part of a comprehensive strategy to protect the homeland. Civil liberties are not being violated, and to have the NSA have this information is part of an essential tool for us to be kept safe."Nick Gass, Bush calls out Cruz for vote curbing NSA surveillance, Politico (December 7, 2015).
In September 2015, Bush published a five-point cybersecurity plan that would establish a "command focus" on Internet security. The plan calls for increased funding, greater cooperation internationally and between the public and private sectors, and more government accountability to combat Internet security threats.David Jackson, Jeb Bush unveils cybersecurity plan, USA Today (September 14, 2015). Bush also reiterated his support for the NSA and argued in favor of the Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act (CISA). Privacy experts believe the proposed legislation includes loopholes which could be used to increase government surveillance.Issie Lapowsky, Jeb Bush Asks That You Stop 'Demonizing' the NSA, Please, Wired (September 14, 2015).