Jeb Bush: U.S. needs to strengthen economically and internationally

Republican presidential candidate Jeb Bush told an audience in Henderson that the United States needs to strengthen its economy and its relationships with other nations, including Israel.

Speaking to about 300 people at a town hall meeting Saturday, he said personal income and disposable income need to grow, which hasn’t happened in this economy.

“More and more people are falling prey to the false choice of more government to be able to take care of them,” Bush said at the city’s Valley View Recreation Center.

Bush, the governor of Florida from 1999 to 2007, touted key parts of his campaign message, including reducing federal regulations that harm businesses and reducing poverty.

“All of this can be fixed because it requires winning in a way that draws people to our cause,” Bush said, adding “I’m going to run with heart.”

It was the Bush’s first visit to Southern Nevada since his June 15 announcement that he’s in the race. Bush, the brother of former President George W. Bush and the son of the first President George Bush, visited Reno and Las Vegas in May.

Bush, a friend of Republican Gov. Brian Sandoval, also praised Nevada for its work on education reform, particularly the new education savings accounts.

The new voucher program will allow parents to put their child’s state public school funding toward a private school or tutoring. Bush championed a voucher program in Florida as governor.

Asked about the deadly June 17 shooting spree in Charleston, S.C., where a gunman killed nine people in a church, Bush said a society needs to focus on mental health issues and look for ways to identify and help people with mental health problems sooner.

Bush drew frequent applause at the town hall, which offered online registration for free tickets in advance.

Considered a GOP presidential race front-runner, Bush leads most polls in a crowded field of at least a dozen Republican candidates. A recent NBC/Wall Street Journal national survey placed him at the top, preferred by 22 percent of likely Republican primary voters.

Nevada has attracted attention from other candidates who have visited in recent months. The list includes Republicans U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida, neurosurgeon Dr. Ben Carson, U.S. Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky, and Democratic candidates Hillary Clinton and U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont.

Bush said accountability is needed at the federal Office of Personnel Management, which suffered a data breach and did nothing after an Inspector General report suggested the agency that houses the government workforce’s personnel files wasn’t secure.

“The Chinese have broken into that system and now it’s possible they have 18 million separate records,” Bush said, adding that President Barack Obama put his political director in charge of the agency rather than someone qualified. Katherine Archuleta, who was Obama’s national political director, heads the agency.

Bush criticized her for blaming the Chinese, saying people need to take action and responsibility.

As Florida’s governor, “when there was a mistake, I cleaned it up,” he said.

Nevada’s status as a key swing state in the presidential election wasn’t lost on Bush. Nevada’s February 2016 caucuses will play an early role in determining who gets the Republican nomination, along with New Hampshire, South Carolina and Iowa. In the November 2016 general election, Nevada is expected to be competitive: It could swing for the GOP or the Democratic ticket.

“We’re purple as well,” Bush said, referring to his Florida home state. “And Republicans will win if we win purple states.”

Bush sharply criticized Obama’s foreign policy.

“This president is the first president in the post-World War II era that believes we’re not a force for good,” Bush said.

He said the U.S. needs to be a “beacon of peace and security for the world.”

Asked about Iran and its nuclear capabilities, Bush said no option should be taken off the table. Iran and its potential ability to have a nuclear weapon have stoked fears in the Middle East.

Bush also took aim at Democratic front-runner Clinton, saying she only sponsored three bills that became law during her eight years as a U.S. senator representing New York.

The Democratic National Committee quickly pounced on Bush’s comments in Henderson that Obama’s economics have been horrible for people in poverty and disastrous for those in the middle. The committee said private-sector jobs have expanded by 12.6 million jobs during 63 consecutive months and wages and benefits increased last year at the quickest rate in six years.

Both Democratic and Republican candidates are courting the Latino vote as demographics have shifted.

“The next president has to go to places where Republicans haven’t been seen in a long, long while,” Bush said, referencing the Latino community.

He didn’t call for a path to citizenship for immigrants who are in the country illegally. Instead, he said they should be eligible for “earned legal status.” That status would come through a provisional work permit where they pay taxes and learn English and “over an extended period of time” earn legal status, Bush said.

“I don’t see any other option,” Bush said. “I don’t think our country is going to be the type of country that puts people in boxcars and sends them away.”

Several Latino protesters were outside the building, holding signs that said: “Jeb: Are you a supporter or a deporter?” and “Nothing less than citizenship.”

Bush, speaking to reporters after his speech, said he believes in traditional marriage and that it’s important to protect religious freedoms. He was responding to a question about the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling Friday that the U.S. Constitution guarantees a nationwide right to same-sex marriage.

Bush plans to meet with ministers in Charleston, S.C., on Monday.

Contact Ben Botkin at bbotkin@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2904. Find him on Twitter: @BenBotkin1.