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Laura Collins

Laura Collins

Deputy Director, Bush Institute-SMU Economic Growth Initiative
George W. Bush Institute

Laura Collins is the Deputy Director, Bush Institute-SMU Economic Growth Initiative at the George W. Bush Institute. Collins previously served as the Director of Immigration Policy at the American Action Forum. She has experience in politics, working as a Senior Research Analyst at the Republican National Committee for the 2012 election cycle and in the Texas House of Representatives for the 82nd Legislature. A former practicing attorney, Collins earned a JD from The University of Texas School of Law and a BBA from the University of Oklahoma.

Related Articles and Resources

One Big Reason to Keep KORUS (And Five Economic Facts that Matter)
September 14, 2017

One Big Reason to Keep KORUS (And Five Economic Facts that Matter) by Laura Collins

There are many reasons to stay in KORUS, or at least be thoughtful about approaching a renegotiation. The most important reason is geopolitical, but the economics make a strong argument as well.

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Visa programs for high-skilled workers are insufficient
March 31, 2017

Visa programs for high-skilled workers are insufficient by Laura Collins

Reform should make it easier for skilled workers to come and remain in the U.S.

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For the Economy to Grow, Washington Needs to Take on Entitlement Programs
March 15, 2017

For the Economy to Grow, Washington Needs to Take on Entitlement Programs by Laura Collins

President Donald Trump's vow to spur economic growth to as high as four percent annually reflects a belief in our capacity to expand our GDP beyond its recent tepid growth of 2 percent or so. This is his most admirable policy position to date. Unfortunately, the White House's preliminary budget for the Fiscal Year 2018 would make it harder to generate faster growth. The administration still needs to fill in a variety of budget details, but, so far, the problem is the plan does not touch mandatory spending on entitlement programs. Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, and other guaranteed annual spending programs are the most significant long-term threat to U.S. fiscal stability. They increasingly drive up the federal debt, which limits our economic potential and hurts our global economic competitiveness. These federal entitlement programs represent 60% of the federal budget and 12% of GDP. Medicare is projected to exhaust its reserves by 2028. Social Security is projected to be

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Immigration Is Good For the Economy, Let’s Not Stifle It
January 29, 2018

Immigration Is Good For the Economy, Let’s Not Stifle It by Laura Collins

The White House's framework for a legislative fix for Dreamers contains troubling provisions that raise many questions and concerns about our economy’s future.

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Regardless Of Their Background, Immigrants Contribute To The United States
January 16, 2018

Regardless Of Their Background, Immigrants Contribute To The United States by Laura Collins

We must recognize that immigrants admitted due to a familial relationship or a diversity visa are also important contributors to our economy.

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Deporting Salvadorans May Lead to Economic Decline
January 9, 2018

Deporting Salvadorans May Lead to Economic Decline by Matthew Rooney

We should think carefully about a policy whose major impacts are likely to be reductions in employment and economic activity here at home, and increased instability and lawlessness along our borders.

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Trade Scores a Touchdown with Super Bowl Snacks
February 1, 2018

Trade Scores a Touchdown with Super Bowl Snacks by Laura Collins

Whether you prefer pizza, wings, or chips and guacamole, the food on your table plays a large role in international trade.

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The Global Flavor of the NBA
May 31, 2018

The Global Flavor of the NBA by Laura Collins

For the fourth straight season, the NBA had more than 100 international players on opening night with at least one player on each team.

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Tariffs Are (Still) Bad Policy
May 24, 2018

Tariffs Are (Still) Bad Policy by Laura Collins

Automotive trade tariffs will hurt American workers and consumers.

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Quick Take: Nearly 90,000 Hondurans to be Deported
May 4, 2018

Quick Take: Nearly 90,000 Hondurans to be Deported by Laura Collins

The Trump administration ended Temporary Protected Status for Hondurans who have been allowed to live and work in the United States since 1999. Deputy Director of the Economic Growth Initiative Laura Collins reflects on the significance of the decision.

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Immigration Explained: Asylum Seekers vs. Illegal Immigrants
June 25, 2018

Immigration Explained: Asylum Seekers vs. Illegal Immigrants by Laura Collins

The United States has a history of accepting asylum seekers and hearing out their cases. However, things have recently become more heated.

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New Immigration Plan Could Change Green Card Qualifications
August 8, 2018

New Immigration Plan Could Change Green Card Qualifications by Laura Collins

Applicants for green cards are evaluated on a range of areas to determine eligibility. The likeliness of becoming a public charge is only one factor, but it can be enough to deny an application.

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Jobs and Opportunity Are the Only Path to Peace in Central America

on May 25, 2018
Foreign Policy

Retraining the workforce is not enough to meet labor demand

on July 22, 2018
The Hill
Skilled Immigrants Help Boost Our Economy
April 13, 2017

Skilled Immigrants Help Boost Our Economy by Laura Collins

Immigration reform that tilts the balance in favor of immigrants with skills or advanced degrees has the potential to boost economic growth.

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Growing the Workforce: Temporary Workers and Skilled Immigrants Could Grow the Workforce
September 13, 2017

Growing the Workforce: Temporary Workers and Skilled Immigrants Could Grow the Workforce by Laura Collins

This article is part of a set of policy recommendations the George W. Bush Institute is rolling out this week on growing the American workforce.

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Protecting Dreamers is Good Economic Policy
September 7, 2017

Protecting Dreamers is Good Economic Policy by Laura Collins

The deportation that will likely result from rescinding DACA will remove up to 800,000 workers from the U.S. economy.

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January 23, 2018

Pervasive Myths About Immigrants

by Laura Collins

As Americans grow in their unease about the economy and their communities, immigrants become a lightning rod. Despite studies that show that a flow of workers into the country helps the economy, immigrants often face the blame for what ails our society.

The Catalyst
How Trade Spreads Holiday Cheer
December 20, 2017

How Trade Spreads Holiday Cheer by Laura Collins

It is projected that the average American household will spend more than $900 this year during the holidays. So, it is only fitting to discuss what truly makes the holidays so special: Global trade.

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President Bush and Prime Minister Harper Discuss the Future of Globalization
June 8, 2017

President Bush and Prime Minister Harper Discuss the Future of Globalization by Laura Collins

The George W. Bush Institute and the Canadian American Business Council hosted a roundtable conversation focused on the future of globalization with President Bush, former Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, and business executives from across the U.S. and Canada. Both leaders agreed that globalization is inevitable, but our policy choices do shape it into what we want it to be.

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Three Reasons Economic Growth in Africa Benefits the United States
April 24, 2017

Three Reasons Economic Growth in Africa Benefits the United States by Natalie Gonnella-Platts

On President George W. Bush’s trip this month to Africa, he underscored the importance of sustaining American foreign assistance programs in Sub-Saharan Africa. Economic development initiatives in Africa likewise are critical to the stability of the region and in America's interests.

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Moving Goods Around the Continent: The Case for Improving Our Border Infrastructure
November 17, 2016

Moving Goods Around the Continent: The Case for Improving Our Border Infrastructure by Laura Collins

North America is the only global trading bloc that does not benefit from a dedicated, permanent, independent infrastructure bank to provide intelligence and deep expertise on investments in infrastructure tied to integrated production and supply chains. If we are to remain the most economically competitive region in the world, we need a mechanism to facilitate additional cross-border infrastructure that works. This is why the George W. Bush Institute’s North America Competitiveness Working Group recommends the creation of a border infrastructure bank to strengthen North American competitiveness. While the exact benefit that such a bank would produce is impossible to quantify, the fact that our competitors, including the Europeans, not only have such banks but are looking to increase their numbers is a signal of the importance of these institutions. We do know that border crossings generate significant benefits in jobs, wages and economic activity for the communities where

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Simplifying Border Crossings for Goods Will Help the Economy
October 13, 2016

Simplifying Border Crossings for Goods Will Help the Economy by Matthew Rooney

The macroeconomic benefits of this could be significant. Our initial estimates suggest that these small changes in how we plan and fund cross-border infrastructure could increase U.S. GDP by one percentage point, about $220 billion...

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Pew Survey Shows Which Americans Need Help Closing the Skills Gap
October 12, 2016

Pew Survey Shows Which Americans Need Help Closing the Skills Gap by Laura Collins

Technology has fundamentally altered the way Americans work in just two decades.

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Countries Compete Head-to-Head in Ultimate Competition: The Global Economy
August 16, 2016

Countries Compete Head-to-Head in Ultimate Competition: The Global Economy by Laura Collins

The United States, Canada, and Mexico team up to be the most economically competitive trade bloc in the world, scoring a B+ on the Scorecard.

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The Working Group Visits the U.S.-Canada Border
August 11, 2016

The Working Group Visits the U.S.-Canada Border by Laura Collins

Recently, the Bush Institute’s North America Competitiveness Working Group convened again to continue its policy work on North American economic integration. The Working Group toured sites in Detroit and Windsor, Canada that show our policy priorities in action in the real world. The Detroit-Windsor area is the busiest commercial land border crossing in North America, handling 31 percent of U.S.-Canada trade carried by truck. Typical traffic includes the automobile industry, where car parts will typically cross the U.S-Canada border as many as six times before the finished vehicle is offered for sale to the public. Thousands of people cross daily as well, including the many Canadian nurses who staff Detroit-area hospitals. Over $100 billion in trade crossed here in 2014. With such a large volume of daily border crossings, reliable and efficient cross-border infrastructure is vital. Detroit-Windsor currently has three main crossings—the tunnel, which hosts primarily p

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Trade Makes America Work
July 25, 2016

Trade Makes America Work by Laura Collins

Our manufacturers are producing double what they made in the early 1980s with one-third fewer workers. That is a reflection of the productivity strides we have made through innovation, not a downside of trade.

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Examining Ways to Make the North American Economy More Competititve
July 12, 2016

Examining Ways to Make the North American Economy More Competititve by Laura Collins

For the U.S. to remain competitive in a global economy, trade must be able to move across our borders efficiently.

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North America Working Group Wrap-up Session in San Diego and Tijuana
January 26, 2016

North America Working Group Wrap-up Session in San Diego and Tijuana by Laura Collins

Last week, the North America Competitiveness Working Group convened in San Diego for its third session to discuss advancing North American economic integration.

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The North America Working Group On the Road
January 19, 2016

The North America Working Group On the Road by Ashley McConkey

This week, the North America Competitiveness Working Group will convene in San Diego for its third session to discuss advancing North American...

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