Posted on 07/04/2006 11:35:26 PM PDT by Spiff
Rep. Tom Tancredo (R-CO)
23 May 2006
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Tom Tancredo (R-CO), Chairman of the 97-member House Immigration Reform Caucus, expressed disappointment at Rep. Mike Pence’s policy shift on immigration reform. At a Heritage Foundation speech this afternoon, Pence presented what he called “a rational middle ground… between amnesty and mass deportation” that turns its back on a enforcement-first strategy, grants rogue employers amnesty, and would in effect reward illegal aliens for breaking the law.
“Mike Pence is making the same mistakes that the President has, using the straw man of mass deportations and redefining amnesty to suit his interests. Unfortunately, like the President, Pence is breaking from House conservatives who remain steadfast in their support of a security-first approach to immigration,” said Tancredo.
Pence’s plan would require illegal aliens to return to their home countries to apply for a new ‘W’ worker visa. Employers could hire as many foreign workers as they want under the W visa, and, in practice, they would likely hire the same workers who they employed illegally before. Pence wants to start the new foreign worker program before border security is even proved effective, which is the same strategy that was used in the 1986 amnesty. Twenty years later, the U.S. got amnesty as promised but no border security.
“Pence’s W visa is aptly named. It gives the Administration exactly what it wants: unlimited foreign workers first, enforcement later or never,” said Tancredo. “Pence’s plan is just the 1986 amnesty with a trip home tacked on.”
The Pence plan includes no prevailing wage standard for foreign workers—it simply relies on the good will of employers to “try to hire American workers” before offering jobs under the new foreign worker visa. In fact, almost all current visas require employers to offer the job to American workers before seeking foreign labor, but with no enforcement mechanism, the requirement is laughable.
“The House’s strategy in H.R. 4437 was to fix the illegal alien problem by enforcing the law. Over time, as illegal workers cannot obtain jobs, they go home because they have no other option open to them. Pence takes a much different approach: fix illegal behavior by legalizing it,” said Tancredo. “As a conservative and a friend of Mike Pence, I am baffled by his shift on immigration. I hope he reconsiders his position and returns to an enforcement-first position.”
Rep. Tom Tancredo's ratings from various conservative organizations:
100% "Best and Brightest" Rating from American Conservative Union (one of only 38 other Congressmen)
100% Rating from National Right to Life Committee
100% Rating from Conservative Index (Spring '05 - 75% lifetime, tied for second highest rating)
100% Rating from Concerned Women for America
100% Rating from Christian Coalition
100% Rating from Campaign for Working Families
100% Rating from FreedomWorks
98% Rating from National Tax Limitation Committee (average since 1999)
95% "Taxpayer Hero" Rating from Citizens Against Government Waste
95% Rating from Americans for Tax Reform
95% Rating from Christian Action Network
93% Rating from Eagle Forum (tied for second highest rating)Rep. Tom Tancredo's ratings from various leftist organizations:
0% Rating from National Education Association
0% Rating from National Organization for Women
0% Rating from Brady Campaign
0% Rating from People for the American Way
0% Rating from Planned Parenthood
0% Rating from Pro-Choice America
Newt Gingrich gives kudos to the Mike Pence immigration reform plan in his latest Human Events column: One positive addition to the border-security and immigration debate is Rep. Mike Pence's (R-Ind.) bill, the Border Integrity and Immigration Reform Act. This bill is as close to the right solution as I have seen. It sets up a four-step process starting with what is needed and universally agreed upon -- border security. Second, it does not provide amnesty for people in the United States illegally. It requires them to go home. Next, it sets up a work-visa program using electronic bio-metric security based on conservative market principles. After an American employer can, in good faith, show that no American worker will fill a job offer, a work-visa holder may be hired. The key feature is that, in order for people who are here illegally to get a work visa, they must go home, because work visas will only be issued outside of the United States. Fourth, once the program is set up, companies that continue to ignore the law will be sanctioned severely. I hope the House will take a serious look at Rep. Pence's thoughtful and pragmatic approach to solving this issue.
Seems the architect of the Republican Revoltion thinks Tom is full of crap.
WEll it's official.
If Tancredo hates it, I must look into it further because there MUST BE some good within it.
Tom is deeply saddened.
What was the "conservative rating" of the President who signed that Amnesty bill into law, btw?
Either that or he's come out of mourning over last week and is trying to put a brave new face on. Think about it, when you're trying to stage a national referendum and Satan is working against you...that's tough.
Your kind assistance in backing up your goofy statement is most appreciated.
Warm regards,
L
Mike Pence also has a 100% rating from the ACU. In fact, Mike Pence has a lifetime 100% rating. Tancredo is close, but not 100% lifetime.
I think they mistook SATAN for someone else.
It's a long way down from 'high and mighty'.
Chris Cannon also has a 100% rating from the ACU. I'm sure Newt did too. But now they suddenly are all RINOs?
The quick way to say that is you lied.
And I'm quite sure it's very easy for you to reconcile such falsehoods. Doing that sort of thing seems to come quite naturally to you.
Be careful though. That sort of thing can rear up and bite you in the ass when you least expect it.
Of course only someone interested in being honest would appreciate that sort of advice so I'm most likely wasting both your time and mine.
Oh well I suppose there's always a glimmer of hope.
L
Pence has the same rating with the ACU...but Tom Terrific has the 100% buchanan rating.
Dude, you're the one following Tom Terrific, not me.
For the record, Mike Pence holds a lifetime rating of 100 by the ACU:
http://www.acuratings.org/2005all.htm#IN
He is also on the "Best and Brightest" list:
http://www.conservative.org/archive2/house.asp
Spiff neglected to post those facts.
I credit Pence with stepping forward to present a credible attempt at political compromise.
As a nearly lifelong resident of SoCal, I've watched this issue for a LONG time. Years ago, when border state people screamed "help" the Congress and President Reagan played games. Same through Bush I, Clinton and five years of Bush II.
Now everybody has come awake. Illegals have flooded everywhere.
The Republican party holds the upper hand. But Tancredo's torch will NOT win the day.
Pence has opened the negotiations, whereby Bush and Specter have BOTH expressed very significant movement. Credit where credit is due.
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