Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush warned in an op-ed Wednesday that the failure of Republicans to pass an immigration bill this year runs the risk that Democrats will take over Congress, and pursue their version of immigration reform.
“As Republicans consider whether they will hold off taking up immigration in advance of November, I offer a cautionary hypothetical: What happens if Congress doesn’t address the issue this year, and Republicans lose the majority?” Bush asked in his Time magazine piece. “Do we really want to risk waiting to see what a Democratic House and an unpredictable White House may do?”
The 2016 GOP presidential candidate called on the House to take up a conservative comprehensive package that eliminates the diversity visa lottery, narrows chain migration and includes funding for the border, but doesn’t fund the border wall, which Bush said was an “unrealistic idea.” Instead, Bush called to bolster drone surveillance and to improve infrastructure along the border.
“The politics of the issue may be tough, but the solutions are far from elusive,” he said.
Bush also called on Republicans to deal with the “full population” of illegal immigrants, but said this would be the “difficult element” of any deal. But he said an immigration bill could help Republicans win in November.
Since their 2016 campaign rivalry, Bush has been a supporter of Trump on many personnel decisions, but has remained an outspoken critic on others. Most recently, Bush said in late January that Trump’s character could drag down Republicans on the ballot in November.
