Jeb Bush launches ‘Right to Rise’ PAC

Bush announced the new leadership PAC, called “Right to Rise,” with a video posted to social media in English and in Spanish. In the video, Bush said the PAC will “support candidates that believe in conservative principles to allow all Americans to rise up.”

A website for the fledgling PAC promoted a similar mission statement.

“We believe passionately that the Right to Rise — to move up the income ladder based on merit, hard work and earned success — is the central moral promise of American economic life,” the website reads. “We are optimists who believe that America’s opportunities have never been greater than they are right now. But we know America is falling short of its promise.”

The idea of the “right to rise” has its roots with Abraham Lincoln, who popularized the political idea of rising from rags to riches. He did not use that exact language, although lauded Lincoln scholar Gabor Boritt later did.

Rep. Paul Ryan, in a 2011 speech, coined the modern iteration of “right to rise” and made it well known in Republican politics. In a Wall Street Journal op-ed shortly thereafter, in December 2011, Bush credited Ryan with having originated the “smart phrase to describe the core concept of economic freedom.”

Before Bush settled on the name for his PAC, “he did run it by Paul Ryan,” a Bush aide confirmed.

The PAC will enable Bush to begin to raise money for an eventual presidential bid — just as many potential candidates, including Sens. Marco Rubio and Rand Paul, have done for months with their own leadership PACs.

Rob Engstrom, national political director for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, announced in an email to friends and colleagues that he will take a “short leave” to work for Bush’s PAC. Engstrom will be based in Florida.

Also on Tuesday, Bush’s allies moved to form a super PAC of the same name, “Right To Rise,” which will be able to raise significantly more money without the FEC limits that govern candidates’ PACs.