--- title: Jeb Bush Says Laws on the Books Already Ensure Equal Pay description: Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush indicated he thinks existing laws are sufficient to ensure men and women are paid equally for the same work canonical: https://time.com/3961603/jeb-bush-equal-pay-lgbt-discrimination/ author: Zeke Miller article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2015-07-17T00:47:00.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-19T07:41:45.128Z article:section: Politics og:title: Jeb Bush Says Laws on the Books Already Ensure Equal Pay og:description: Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush indicated he thinks existing laws are sufficient to ensure men and women are paid equally for the same work og:url: https://time.com/3961603/jeb-bush-equal-pay-lgbt-discrimination/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt43efefb486da922f/69885b572dce01836c9e4aca/jeb-bush.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 3000 og:image:height: 1688 og:image:alt: Republican presidential candidate, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, gestures while speaking to employees at Thumbtack, an online startup on July 16, 2015, in San Francisco. og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Jeb Bush Says Laws on the Books Already Ensure Equal Pay twitter:description: Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush indicated he thinks existing laws are sufficient to ensure men and women are paid equally for the same work twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt43efefb486da922f/69885b572dce01836c9e4aca/jeb-bush.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Jeb Bush Says Laws on the Books Already Ensure Equal Pay > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: August 2026. ## TIME D.C. Brief: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition D.C. Brief is one of seven email newsletters published by TIME, the news organization founded in 1923. Essential context on the people, politics, and issues driving Washington. D.C. Brief goes beyond the Washington headlines to explain the politics, personalities and power dynamics shaping what happens next. 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It is written by a TIME senior correspondent who covers the capital full time. #### Who writes TIME's D.C. Brief? Philip Elliott, a senior correspondent at TIME, writes D.C. Brief. #### Is D.C. Brief free? Yes. D.C. Brief is free at time.com/newsletters. ## Video: See Jeb Bush's Political Career Through the Years [Watch (HLS stream): See Jeb Bush's Political Career Through the Years](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/3nRIB78f.m3u8) (2:37)  _Published 2015-06-12. From his unsuccessful gubernatorial campaign in 1994 through his decision to seek the Republican presidential nomination in 2016, here are some of the top moments from Jeb Bush's political career._ by [Zeke J Miller / San Francisco](https://time.com/author/zeke-j-miller/) ## Zeke J Miller / San Francisco Jul 17, 2015 12:47 AM UTC  Republican presidential candidate, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, gestures while speaking to employees at Thumbtack, an online startup on July 16, 2015, in San Francisco. Republican presidential candidate, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, gestures while speaking to employees at Thumbtack, an online startup on July 16, 2015, in San Francisco. Eric Risberg—AP by [Zeke J Miller / San Francisco](https://time.com/author/zeke-j-miller/) ## Zeke J Miller / San Francisco Jul 17, 2015 12:47 AM UTC Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush indicated Thursday that he thinks existing laws sufficient to ensure men and women are paid equally for the same work, but that he would back legislation in the states to prevent workplace and housing discrimination against LGBT Americans. Speaking to employees at San Francisco tech startup Thumbtack, Bush faced questions from the audience about a range of issues where Republicans break with the city’s largely liberal and libertarian ethos, including equal pay legislation, LGBT issues and gun control. The first question to Bush came from a former Floridian and gun owner who praised Bush’s record on education, but said he disagreed with his position on gun control legislation. “That should be driven by the states,” Bush said in reply, adding that he and the questioner would likely have to agree to disagree on the question. “Wages should be equal, and there are laws to make it so, and they should be enforced,” Bush said in response to a subsequent question from one female employee, implying he thought that existing statutes were effective at making it so. The employee cited the oft-used statistic that by some measures women are paid 79 percent of what men make for the same work. Bush interrupted her to ask whether that was the case at the startup. She replied, “Not in this office,” prompting Bush to proclaim, “Thank goodness.” An employee who identified himself to Bush as being gay asked about Bush’s position on legislation to ban discrimination of LGBT Americans. “I don’t think you should be discriminated because of your sexual orientation. Period. Over and out,” he replied. Bush continued: “The fact that there wasn’t a law doesn’t necessarily mean you would have been discriminated against.” He added that in the wake of the Supreme Court decision to legalize same-sex marriage nationwide, the country must work to carefully balance the rights of those seeking to marry and the religious beliefs of those who oppose those unions. Citing the frequently-used example by religious freedom advocates, Bush said that in the case of a florist approached by a gay couple, “you should be obligated to sell them flowers, doing otherwise would be discriminatory.” But he said that the objecting florist should not be required to participate in the wedding, a fine line that he hopes will appeal to all sides of the debate. When the employee followed up to ask specifically whether he would support anti-discrimination laws for LGBT Americans for their housing and employment—the next target for gay rights marriage advocates—Bush said he would at the state level. “I think this should be done state-by-state, I totally agree with that,” he said. ## Transcript The younger Bush brother did not make the governor's chair in Florida. The older Bush brother, George W. Bush, did make it in Texas. This is a mixed night for the Bush family. I know we can do better. It requires a new style of leadership, commitment to service to others, and an ability to bring people together rather than divide I wanna be the governor that leads us there. And in Florida, Jeb Bush, 56 to 44 over Buddy MacKay, the Democratic candidate. My brother said in one of his speeches, my brother said he's gonna deliver Florida. [ LAUGH ] He did say That he said it more than once. Will he deliver it? He also told it was going to be a cold Thanksgiving dinner if I don't help him out, and then we're going to carry it. We could be in for a long night as voters decide whether Vice President Al Gore or Texas Governor George Bush will be the next president of the United States. It is that close. ABC News is now going to project that Florida goes to Mr. Bush. While the closest elections in American history Bush has won it. The rigor of the common core state standards must be the new minimum in classrooms. And so for those states that are choosing a path other than common core I say this. You should be aiming even higher. And be bolder and raise standards and ask more for our students and the system. The simple fact is there is no plan to deport 11 Million people. We should give them a path to legal status. Where they work, where they don't receive government benefits, where they don't break the law, where they learn English, and where they make a contribution to our society. Knowing what we know now, would you have authorized the invasion? I would of and so would of Hillary Clinton. Just to remind everybody and so would of almost everybody that was confronted with the intelligence they got. By the way guess who thinks that those mistakes took place as well. George W. Bush. Your brother. Yeah. I mean so just for the news flash to the world that they're trying to find places that there's big space between me and my brother, this might not be one of those. I'm running for president in 2016, and the focus is going to be about how we, if I run, how do you create high sustained economic growth where more people have a chance at our success. I don't know if I'd be a good candidate or a bad one. Kinda know how a Republican can win, whether it's me or somebody else. And it has to be much more uplifting, much more positive, much more willing to be practical now in the Washington world. Lose the primary to win the general. 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