Thread: Tancredo's big day: House begins debate on immigration

Tancredo's big day: House begins debate on immigration
Scripps-Howard News Service
By: M.E. Sprengelmeyer
12/15/2005

WASHINGTON -- Rep. Tom Tancredo bounced around his office Thursday with a smile that only rarely turned to a scowl.

"You can't imagine how neat it is to stand here and listen to this," the Colorado Republican said, gesturing toward a large TV screen where men in power suits were alternately praising or ripping some of his pet provisions included in a pending immigration-enforcement bill.

It was the first day of congressional debate on a bill by Rep. James Sensenbrenner, R-Wis., that would increase penalties on illegal immigrants and the people who employ them.

Tancredo didn't care that his name wasn't on the top. He didn't care what the various speakers were saying. After seven years harping on the issue, he was just glad he finally had goaded his congressional colleagues into the debate.

"I have to look for another issue. This is far too mainstream," Tancredo joked. "The most gratifying thing is sitting in a conference today and hearing people say, 'I can't go home (for Christmas) without this.' So let 'em talk. Let everybody talk."

The House on Thursday debated a series of amendments. A final vote on the overall bill is expected sometime Friday. Critics call it xenophobic and business leaders say it will damage the labor force.

Amid the preliminaries, the real action Thursday had little to do with the rhetoric flowing over the television airwaves. Behind the scenes, the bill almost fell apart at one point, and the firebrand Tancredo found himself in the unfamiliar role as peacemaker to keep his 92-member Immigration Reform Caucus together.

All afternoon, Tancredo aides popped in and out of his office to give grim or joyous updates. Some caucus members were upset because they didn't think the bill was tough enough, or because pet amendments would not be considered.

"I want this underlying bill. That's what I want," Tancredo blurted. "There are so many (expletive deleted) egos involved in this already."

Some conservatives were demanding a vote on an amendment that would end automatic citizenship for children born in the United States to parents who are illegal immigrants.

Press secretary Will Adams warned that if Tancredo supported the bill without provisions like that, "You're going to have the radical guys saying you're a traitor."

Tancredo said he'd settle for incremental progress. For once, he wasn't playing the role of "radical guy" on the issue. Instead, he played diplomat, trying to keep members of his moody coalition on board.

"It's kind of a new role for you, trying to hold (expletive deleted) together instead of blowing it apart," legislative director Mac Zimmerman said matter-of-factly.

Tancredo burst into laughter. He sanitized the line and made it his mantra for the day, feeding it to the reporters who stalked him through the U.S. Capitol.

Although he has flirted with a possible presidential contest in 2008, Tancredo often is written off as a loudmouthed backbencher who wields little power. But on Thursday, he had a direct line to the Republican leadership. Without the support of his hard-line immigration caucus, it was unlikely GOP leaders could pass anything to appease an increasingly vocal part of the Republican base.

At one point Thursday, caucus member Rep. J.D. Hayworth, R-Ariz., threatened to block the bill, saying it was not tough enough. Tancredo aide Andrew Good shouted to his boss: "You're not going to let them out-flank the Tanc, are you?"

Tancredo said he'd be satisfied with the basic bill and a few amendments as a first step. Tancredo got on the phone to acting House Republican leader Roy Blunt of Missouri to check on confusing wording changes in the text of amendments.

"We've had more calls from leadership in the last two days than we've had in the last six years," Tancredo said.

Throughout the day, he checked in with attorney Rosemary Jenks, the government-relations director for the immigration reform organization NumbersUSA. He wanted updates on her outside lobbying, and to talk about the leadership's promises not to allow a controversial guest-worker plan to be attached to the bill.

Jenks told Tancredo: "You got leadership to blink. Now I think they're squinting."

The coalition's first test came at an afternoon rules vote. Hayworth and a handful of Republicans joined Democrats and tried to block the bill, but Tancredo's side prevailed, 220-206, and the debate went forward.

The GOP leadership took one parliamentary jab at Tancredo when it allowed newly elected Rep. John Campbell, R-Calif., to offer an amendment on one of Tancredo's pet issues _ threatening to block federal funds to state and local agencies that do not enforce immigration laws. Tancredo has made similar proposals for years, but he also angered Republicans when he campaigned for Campbell's independent opponent in a recent special election.

If the leaders meant to hurt Tancredo, it only made him laugh.

"This hurts me?" he said. "Hurt me like this all day long. Hurt me. Hurt me. That kind of (expletive deleted) doesn't hurt me. My ability to get anything done is not based on the mechanisms of this place."

http://www.shns.com/shns/g_index2.cfm?a ... O-12-15-05

GO TOM!!

We are so grateful and so thankful to you for all your efforts on this issue through all these many years.

You are a True Patriot and BTW, would you like to joing our Sons and Daughters of Sailors Club here at ALIPAC because you sure are blankity blank blank "expletive deleted" WELCOME!!



Real Speak....can move mountains in America.

It sounds to me like he already IS president Nice job, President Tancredo.

Hoorah for Tom!!

Hoorah for Tom!!

WE love you Tancredo!

(ps....forget all that wussy talk about guest worker program....)