New Hampshire – Republican presidential candidate Jeb Bush said Americans need to work longer hours, a remark that drew criticism from Democrats but which he said was intended to highlight that an improved U.S. economy could create more full-time jobs.
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Bush told a forum hosted by the Union-Leader newspaper of Manchester that his aspiration for the country if he is elected in November 2016 would be to generate annual 4 percent economic growth “as far as the eye can see, which means we have to be a lot more productive.”
“Workforce participation has to rise from its all-time modern lows,” Bush said. This means, he said, “that people need to work longer hours and through their productivity gain more income for their families.”
The Democratic National Committee quickly pounced on the comment as being out of touch with the concerns of ordinary Americans. Democrats were successful in making that charge against 2012 Republican nominee Mitt Romney, and would like to do the same with Bush.
“It is easily one of the most out-of-touch comments we’ve heard so far this cycle. Jeb Bush would not fight for the middle class as president,” DNC spokeswoman Holly Shulman said in a statement.
Bush was asked about the comment by reporters after a town hall event in Hudson. He said the U.S. economy needs to grow far faster than currently to allow people to move from part-time work to full-time so they can better provide for their families.
“You can take it out of context all you want, but high sustained growth means people work 40 hours rather than 30 hours and that by our success they have disposable income for their families to decide how they want to spend it rather than standing in line and being dependent upon government,” he said.
Bush, at the town hall event, also rejected a statement from rival Donald Trump that he likes illegal immigrants from Mexico because his wife is Mexican-American.
Bush brought up the comment and called it ludicrous when asked about how to secure the U.S.-Mexican border.
Trump, who has made illegal immigration a hallmark of his own presidential campaign, had sent a retweet that said “#JebBush has to like the Mexican illegals because of his wife.” He quickly deleted it, but told CNN he did not regret the tweet.
Bush said: “My wife is from Mexico. I love her dearly. We’ve been married 41 years.
“You can love the Mexican culture, you can love your Mexican-American wife and also believe that we need to control the border,” Bush said.
So what’ll happen is people will have to work longer hours for not more pay. Keep quiet, Bush.
Outside of being president and gov. He naver had a job in his life,look who is talking ?
Or mabey drunk driving is a job……
What an idiot. He should lead by example
The american worker works harder and produces more and has less vacation than any other worker in the europe. Who’s he kidding ,he comes from a family that for generations have never ”worked” They are the nobility of america. May he never get the nomination .
ENOUGH OF THESE CAREER POLITICIANS , THROW THEM ALL OUT OF WASHINGTON.
None of these politicians have ever held an honest job When the worker works harder to produce more,the money only goes to the business executives who get all of the benefits and bonuses for squeezing the workers harder.
Wow, this is very cheap coming from a family that would feel more at home in Saudi Arabia than in NYC. He should shut up and just continue counting his fortunes. I for one hope he is not elected for President.
As long as Bush keeps James Baker, the notorious anti Semite as his advisor, any Jew would be crazy to vote for him.
How much harder do people have to work now to make ends meet? This man is dreaming. People are working 2 and 3 jobs to break even and now he wants them to work harder!! This man was born with a silver spoon in his mouth! Not all of us were so lucky — Maybe he should pass around a few million so we could see our families once in a while???
Bush should talk about the disparity in income between the management and workers A worker gets paid less then of what a c.e.o. gets