Jeb Bush: ‘I’m Not Going to Back Down on Immigration’

Sunday on CBS’s “Face The Nation,” potential Republican presidential candidate former Gov. Jeb Bush (R-FL) said even though his pro-immigration stance is at odds with the Republican Party base, he is “not going to back down.”

Bush said, “I’m not going to back down on views on immigration, for example. I think we have immigration problem. It’s a system that’s broken. The legal system is broken. We need to narrow family petitioning expand economic immigrants. We need to enforce the law. We can’t use this, keep having this be political issue when we’re missing opportunity to create growth that everybody could benefit from.”

He added, “I’m for a path for legalized status. People get provisional work permit, pay taxes, learn English, don’t commit crimes, don’t receive federal government assistance and earn legal status. They don’t earn citizenship. They don’t cut in line with people who have been patiently waiting on the outside. That seems to be a fair system. Those opposed to that don’t have plan to deal with the 11 million people that are here illegally.”

On President Barack Obama’s executive amnesty, Bush said, “I think the Supreme Court will overturn it. I think it’s unconstitutional. I’ve written a book about this. Simple fact is, doesn’t have the authority to do what did he. he knows that. He’s doing this for political purposes to create a wedge for democrats to win elections.”

Follow Pam Key on Twitter @pamkeyNEN

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