Immigration Reform News: Rep. Luis Gutierrez Says Jeb Bush is the Best Potential Republican Candidate on Immigration [Watch]
According to long-time immigration activist and Democratic Rep. Luis Gutierrez, Jeb Bush would be the most progressive GOP presidential candidate on the issue of immigration reform.
Although the Chicago congressman is most likely pushing for another Democrat to take over the White House, he revealed if Democrats fail to win the 2016 presidential race, then he hopes the win goes to Bush since his family has a good track record on working toward reform.
"We would have to stay with the Bush family," said Gutierrez, explaining that George W. Bush tried twice to pass comprehensive immigration reform during a discussion at the Institute of Politics at the University of Chicago on April 21.
Nevertheless, Gutierrez, who is the son of Puerto Rican parents, went on to say that the Republican Party is going to have a hard time winning the 2016 election if they fail to reach out to Latinos.
"I don't believe they can win if they do not change in November of 2016," said the congressman. "It's going to be really difficult for them."
Gutierrez also pointed out that even though Mitt Romney won 60 percent of white voters in the 2012 presidential race, that was still not enough for him to win the election.
"Look at the last election," he said, "Romney got almost 60 percent of the white vote...[but] he still lost by 5 million votes."
Guiterrez continued emphasizing the impact that Hispanics will have in 2016.
"I will tell you one thing: Latinos do vote in presidential elections," he said.
Gutierrez, the first Latino to be elected to Congress from the Midwest, also talked President Obama's executive orders on immigration, which seek to protect up to 5 million undocumented residents from deportation. According to Gutierrez, the orders "are going to be key in the debate for the presidency of the United States: Do you support it, will you expand it, will you protect it?"
Watch Rep. Gutierrez below.
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