Tancredo: Amnesty a 'Slap in the Face' to Immigrants

AP
Tuesday May 15, 2007

Rep. Tom Tancredo, R-Colo., said during a presidential campaign stop Sunday that he isn't against immigration.

However, Tancredo is against illegal immigration - and its cost to taxpayers.

"Amnesty is coming down the pike," Tancredo said a group of about 20 people at a home in Davenport. "But its a slap in the face to all the people who did it the right way, and to those who are patiently waiting in line to legally get in."

Tancredo, who announced that he would seek the Republican presidential nomination on a Des Moines-area radio show in April, has gained prominence in recent years for his staunch stance against illegal immigration. He has said that immigration will be the main focus of his campaign.

Tancredo said Sunday that he does not apologize for his conservatism, nor for his belief that Americans are not just members of a region, but citizens of a country. He said that the nation's borders are there for to protect Americans, adding that illegal immigration raises health care costs.

Tancredo, a former teacher, also spoke out against President Bushs No Child Left Behind initiative.

"The goals are great," Tancredo said. "But it is not the federal government's role to tell the states what to do. When I say there should be local control of schools, I mean you, as a parent, have control."

Tancredo added that the Department of Education was created by President Carter's administration to appease the National Education Association.

"There is no constitutional role of the federal government to have the Department of Education," Tancredo said. "I dont believe we should have the U.S. Department of Education."

Tancredo said his basic policy about government mirrors that of Thomas Jefferson.

"The government that governs best is that which governs least," he said. "Our government is far too large."

He added that large government just means fewer freedoms and fewer choice. Tancredo said that America has become a welfare state, and national health care would be an even bigger disaster.

"Helping people join health care associations, or starting health saving plans is a great idea," Tancredo said. "I support that, as well as allowing them to buy health insurance from wherever they want. That expands individual freedom and opportunities."