Bush skipping conservative summit

by Jordain Carney - 09/11/15 4:19 PM ET

Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush is skipping a Family Research Council summit in Washington this month, a year after he failed to gain an invitation.

A representative for the Family Research Council said Bush declined the group’s offer to speak at the Values Voter Summit.

{mosads}Bush had been listed on the summit’s website as an invited, but not confirmed, speaker. His removal from list of invited speakers was first noted by People for the American Way, a outside progressive group.

Some of his 2016 competitors, including Sens. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) and Ted Cruz (R-Texas), have also been invited to speak.

A campaign official said that while Bush isn’t able to attend, they’ve offered to provide a video for the summit.

Bush’s decision to skip the summit comes a year after he, as well as New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, weren’t invited to speak at the event. At the time, Tony Perkins, the president of the Family Research Council, told CBN News that “there are folks that are quite frankly not at the top of the list when it comes to values voters who they want to hear from.”

Bush isn’t the only 2016 candidate skipping the event. Perkins told The Christian Post that Donald Trump, who is currently leading the Republican presidential field, also declined to speak at the event.

“We have got the Values Voters Summit coming up and Donald Trump has passed. He is not going to come,” Perkins added. “I think that is going to send a message to Evangelicals and values voters that he wants their support, but he is not really interested in having a conversation with them.”

Trump is still listed as an invited speaker on the group’s website.

Tags Donald Trump Marco Rubio Ted Cruz