Immigration
Bush supports a system that would allow immigrants in the country illegally to stay, if they plead guilty to illegal entry, pay penalties and past-due taxes, learn English and perform community service. Bush views such a system as vital to accelerating economic growth in the US.
Foreign policy
Bush says the US "needs to regain its position militarily in Iraq to bring some order to the Iraqi military". But he hasn't said whether the US should add more troops. On Ukraine, he says the US should consider sending more troops to Eastern Europe to counter Russia's show of strength in the region. He criticised Congress for weakening post-Sept 11 surveillance powers and disputed the argument those powers infringe on civil liberties.
Budget and entitlement programs
Bush says he would support raising the age to qualify for full Social Security benefits for future retirees, over time.
He's also praised a House Republican plan to partially privatise Social Security by letting people choose private accounts as an option to guaranteed Social Security benefits. He opposes tax increases but also has been against signing pledges to rule them out.
Education
Bush stands out as a supporter of Common Core education standards. He's couched his position in milder terms recently as he has travelled to early-voting states where Republican support for the voluntary benchmarks are viewed as a federal mandate. Bush continues to urge states to adopt higher reading, maths and language arts standards than they have.
Social issues
As governor, Bush intervened in the case of Terri Schiavo, a woman who'd been kept alive in a vegetative state for 15 years and whose husband wanted her feeding tubes removed. Bush ordered the feeding tubes reinserted, only to be overruled by a federal court. His action was celebrated by anti-abortion groups as affirming the sanctity of life. Bush opposes abortion rights except when women are victims of rape or incest, or when the woman's life is endangered. He says he opposes gay marriage yet same-sex couples "making lifetime commitments to each other" deserve respect.
Climate change
Bush accepts the scientific premise that the climate is changing and calls examining the causes a priority. But he says: "I don't think the science is clear on what percentage is man-made and what percentage is natural." He attributes the decline in US carbon emissions to innovations in lower-carbon energy production by hydraulic fracking and horizontal oil and natural gas drilling.
Share
