San Antonio • House Speaker John Boehner said Monday that he's "nudged" former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush to seek the Republican nomination for president in 2016.
"Jeb Bush is my friend. I think he'd make a great president. I've nudged him for some time," Boehner told the San Antonio Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.
Republican Sens. Marco Rubio of Florida, Rand Paul of Kentucky and Ted Cruz of Texas have been mentioned as possible presidential candidates. Boehner said he expects to keep his leadership position in 2015 but stopped short of committing to serving out a full 13th term in Congress.
"I'm going to be 65 years old in November. I never thought I'd live to be 60. So I'm living on borrowed time," the Ohio Republican said.
Boehner also discussed a new special select committee that will conduct the eighth investigation of the deadly 2012 attack on the U.S. diplomatic mission in Benghazi, Libya. Republicans have accused the Obama administration of misleading the American people about the attacks. Boehner named seven Republicans to the panel last week, but Democrats are divided about whether to participate in the probe they consider an election-year stunt. Democrats have five seats to fill.
The Associated Press