For years, the Texan has highlighted the immigrant community in its home state and has often praised the history of American immigrants while advocating for immigration policies. During his second term as president, Bush pushed for an immigration bill that aimed to create a pathway to citizenship for some of the 12 million undocumented immigrants and tried to tighten border security, but the bill stalled in the Senate in 2007.
He acknowledged on Sunday that one of the biggest disappointments of his presidency is that he did not pass any significant reforms on the issue. Bush also said he is currently pressuring the Republican Party to act in creating a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants if they can pass a background check and pay taxes, but did not seem hopeful that his party agree.
“I’m right now,” he told O’Donnell when asked if he would pressure his party if President Joe Biden submitted a proposal with those warnings. “Whether my own party listens to me or not is another matter.”
The 43rd president criticized Congress’ lack of action on immigration, noting that there have been “many executive orders, but all it means is that Congress is not doing its job.”
Speaking of his next book of immigrant paintings, “Of Many, One,” the former president said he doesn’t change politics, but added that his is a “small voice” among people trying to reform. .
“It’s part, hopefully, of better understanding the role of immigrants in our society,” Bush said. “Mine is just a small voice in what I hope is a chorus of people saying, ‘Let’s see if we can’t solve the problem.’