Tom Tancredo

Thomas G. Tancredo (born December 20 1945), American politician, has been a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives since 1999, representing the 6th District of Colorado (map (http://nationalatlas.gov/printable/images/preview/congdist/co06_109.gif)). He was born in Denver, Colorado, was educated at the University of Northern Colorado, and was a member of the Colorado House of Representatives from 1977 to 1981.

Tancredo is noted for his outspoken criticism of illegal immigration policies and his support for general immigration reduction. His critics claim he is xenophobic. He has received press attention for targetting individual illegal immigant families for deportation, such as that of an honor student trying to get into the University of Colorado at Boulder. His advocacy for immigration reform is so great that he was not welcome in the White House of George W. Bush, who takes a comparatively liberal view of immigration, after critizing the President's border security controls. Former Democratic Colorado Governor Dick Lamm shares Tancredo's passionate interest in immigration matters, and the two Colorado politicians have appeared together to speak against current immigration policy. Tancredo and George W. Bush's political advisor Karl Rove got into a "screaming match" after Tancredo claimed that "if the nation suffered another attack at the hands of terrorists able to skirt immigration laws, 'the blood of the people killed' would be on the president’s and Congress’s hands... Rove [responded by calling] the congressman 'a traitor to the party, 'a traitor to the president' and warned him to never 'darken the doorstep of the White House.'" Tancredo responded that "the president’s position on immigration is going to hurt [him]. I want the president to win [the 2004 election]. I am not doing any of these things or saying any of these things because I want to hurt the Republican Party or the president."[1] (http://www.amren.com/mtnews/archives/2004/09/immigration_iss_1.php) National Review's David Frum wrote that "[n]o issue, not one, threatens to do more damage to the Republican coalition than immigration," [2] (http://www.newsmax.com/archives/articles/2005/1/10/140820.shtml) which explains in part Rove's sensitivity Tancredo's criticism.

Once, according to The New Republic, "[w]hen The Denver Post profiled an illegal immigrant high school student with a 3.9 grade point average, Tancredo tried to have the boy deported."[3] (http://www.tnr.com/doc.mhtml?i=20050328&s=crowley032805) The New Republic article also argues that Tancredo sees keeping immigrants out of the United States as a question of national identity and accuses his opponents of nihilistic cultural relativism and anti-Americanism:

"America is wrestling with an identity crisis. Part of it is a result of what I call the 'cult of multiculturalism.' The idea that there is nothing--nothing--of value in Western civilization, that we have nothing to offer the world, that we have nothing to offer as a viable society, that everything we have is bad and ugly.... If we are truly in a clash of civilizations... which I happen to believe, then it is important for us to understand who we are. What does it mean to be part of Western civilization? Are there inherent values that are worth anyone's allegiance?"

The most significant immigration-related legislation that Tancredo has worked to pass is H.R. 946, The Mass Immigraiton Reduction Act of 2003. The act, if passed, would impose an indefinite moratorium on immigration to the United States. Only 30,000 total legal immigrants would be allowed into the country annually for at least the first five years of the act and, after that, until such time as there are fewer than 10,000 illegal immigrants entering per year. When those conditions are met immigration could only be allowed at whatever level the president and both houses of Congress agree will have no adverse impact on wages, housing, the environment, or schools. When last introduced in 2003, the bill had 11 cosponsors. Organizations that have endorsed Tancredo's bill include: NumbersUSA, American Patrol, Population-Environment Balance, Carrying Capacity Network, Federation for American Immigration Reform, Negative Population Growth, American Renaissance, and the American Patrol.

Tancredo founded a political action committee named Team America in order to collect contributions for immigration-restrictionist inclined congressional representatives and candidates. Due to campaign law he had to resign after founding it. The current chair is Angela "Bay" Buchanan, sister of politician Patrick Buchanan.

In February 2005, Tancredo announced he will seek Republican Party nomination for President of the United States if all other candidates fail to address illegal immigration problem. He is already visiting early primary states like New Hampshire.

External links

• official website (http://www.house.gov/tancredo/)
• H.R. 946 The Mass Immigration Reduction Act of 2003 (http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c108:H.R.946:)

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