'We just can’t be against what’s in front of Washington, D.C.,' Bush says. | M.Scott Mahaskey/POLITICO Jeb Bush says GOP needs 'agenda'

Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush said Thursday that Republicans need to craft a positive agenda and can’t just rail against Washington, D.C.

“We have to have an agenda, we just can’t be against what’s in front of Washington, D.C.,” Bush said on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” on Thursday. “Much of what goes on in Washington is completely irrelevant to the lives of everyday people. I mean it’s just amazing.”


Bush, a possible 2016 candidate, talked up the “huge bench” of Republicans at the state level and said they should be driving the conservative conversation, not the Washington branch, which Bush criticized.

“There’re 30 Republican governors, I think all of them probably will get reelected, the ones that are running, and it’s because they are focused on those issues not on overreaching or trying to say, ‘Well, we have one-half of one-third of the power of Washington therefore we have three-quarters of the ability to get things done,’” Bush said.

Taking one last dig at lawmakers on the Hill, Bush called on them to pass immigration reform and hoped it would set a precedent of lawmaking.

“This would be interesting — maybe Washington actually ought to pass a law through the regular, normal order and see if it works,” Bush said.

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Jeb Bush