“At least I have one.” Republican Congressman Tom Tancredo of Colorado is answering the critique that his campaign for president has focused solely on one issue: immigration. “It happens to be an issue, by the way, that encompasses everything you can think of: our healthcare system, our schools, the environment, national security. When you have porous borders, how can this not be a part of the discussion? I’ve got an issue, and it happens to contain a whole flood of things that are enormously important to the country.”
But immigration is clearly his top priority, and the circumstances of last week force him to stay focused. As we speak, Tancredo is on his way to the Capitol to meet with congressional colleagues and discuss a fresh version of President Bush’s planned immigration reform, one that now includes an additional $4.4 billion in funding for border security—a main sticking point for many critics of the original bill. But Tancredo is still skeptical. Money is one thing, said the congressman, but enforcing the law is a different kettle of fish. And despite what proponents of the bill say, for Tancredo this version of reform amounts to nothing more than amnesty. And like the last bill, he vows to fight it.
When the previous version of the immigration bill failed to pass, Tancredo—perhaps the most visible opponent of the bill in the House—decided to have a little fun with Arizona Senator John McCain, a front-runner for the Republican nomination and a strong supporter of the president’s bill. When they both found themselves in the same New Hampshire cafe last week, Tancredo sent over a plate of nachos to McCain, a gesture many viewed as insensitive (one critic announced he would send Tancredo a bilingual Bible in response), but Tancredo saw it as harmless fun. “We felt it was an appropriate gesture,” said a laughing Tancredo.
What is Tancredo’s vision for immigration reform? For starters, employers need to be harshly punished for using illegal immigrant labor, which allows them to skirt taxes and avoid Social Security payments while enjoying the benefits of cheap labor. Crack down on those employers, said Tancredo, and you can fix illegal immigration quickly and with ease, starting with mandatory checks of employee Social Security numbers. Tancredo noted that the technology exists now to make those checks, but employers willfully refuse to use it. If they know they have hired an employee with a bum Social Security number, they’ll have to fire that employee. Should an employer ignore these checks during a Tancredo administration, the consequences would be dire.
“I think you have to actually secure your borders and then, simultaneously with that, you have to go after employers vigorously,” said Tancredo. “You make that mandatory, and you fine the heck out of them if they don’t follow through. And you throw a couple in jail periodically that have not only ignored it, but egregiously violated. You do that enough and pretty soon word gets out that you’re not kidding about these things. And so you’ve accomplished your goal of breaking the magnet that pulls people into this country.”
New York Republicans have been predictably drawn to one of their own during this campaign, former Mayor Rudy Giuliani. Though he mentioned none of the other candidates by name, Tancredo was clearly speaking of Giuliani, former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney and others when he urged his party faithful to consider consistency when making their choice.
“I have the most consistent record of anybody that stands on that stage, at least the Republicans who stand on that stage, and talk about what they believe in,” said Tancredo. “I didn’t just come to these issues because I decided I was going to be president.” Unlike the others, Tancredo said that he developed his own issues and concerns for his district and the nation. Most politicians these days, he said, pick their preferred office, analyze the voting pool and culture their public beliefs to fit what they think the populace wants to hear.
“So many of my colleagues determined first what it is they wanted to be,” said Tancredo, who declares himself to be a pro-life, pro-gun, small government conservative now—and forever. “Once you make the decision, then you decide what you have to say, and be, and think and do. Well, I’ll tell ya, that’s not me.”
