Jeb Bush: 'People should work longer hours'

Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush on Wednesday proposed a blunt solution for economic troubles: “People should work longer hours,” drawing negative reactions from critics who suggested the last thing Americans need is to work more.

The GOP presidential contender made his suggestion during an interview with the conservative New Hampshire newspaper, The Union Leader, on Wednesday to address a variety of issues, including a tax reform agenda that Americans could expect under his administration, ABC News reported.

Bush said, “My aspiration for the country and I believe we can achieve it, is 4 percent 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. It means that people need to work longer hours.”

Bush subsequently clarified his remarks stating, “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.”

Before the clarification, the remarks had drawn instant reactions from a variety of public figures on the left, including John Podesta, a former White House chief of staff under President Bill Clinton who currently serves as the chairman of Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign.

Podesta took to social media to criticize Bush’s remarks, stating, “Americans are working pretty hard already & don’t need to work longer hours — they need to get paid more.”

The Democratic National Committee also condemned Bush’s remarks, claiming he is “out-of-touch” and removed from the widespread concerns of middle-class Americans. In 2012, Democrats made great headway in criticizing Mitt Romney, the Republican nominee, for this type of perceived disconnect.

A Bush aide responded promptly to the DNC’s remarks in a statement, claiming, “Under President Obama, we have the lowest work-force participation rate since 1977, and too many Americans are falling behind. Only Washington Democrats could be out-of-touch enough to criticize giving more Americans the ability to work, earn a paycheck, and make ends meet.”

According to a Gallup poll conducted in 2014, fewer Americans are working the standard 40-hour week now than in previous decades. That study suggested that many Americans reported working on average 47 hours per week, which amounts to nearly one additional workday longer than a week consisting of a five-day, 9-to-5 work schedule. Beyond that, there are many Americans who are underemployed, confined to part-time versions of what used to be full-time jobs.

Pax on both houses

Pages

Wednesday, July 8, 2015