*a similar release went out to targeted districts across the country*
Last week, Americans saw a dark Republican convention filled with chaos, division, and hatred, especially when it came to attacking immigrants and other minority groups. Trump’s unworkable and costly “build a wall” stance was front and center all throughout their convention, and that’s all Donald Trump seems willing to discuss – a disastrous message in Colorado’s diverse 6th District. House Republicans – including Mike Coffman – have refused to put forward a real immigration plan, instead falling in line with Trump.
As State Rep. Joe Salazar wrote in an op-ed last year: “Mike Coffman paved the way for anti-Immigrant Donald Trump.” The simple fact is that Coffman has not introduced immigration reform legislation and has not stood up against his anti-immigrant party leaders – and no amount of TV ads and false promises will change that.
Tonight, the nation gets to hear from a hardworking immigrant family during the convention’s opening night, which will provide a stark contrast to Coffman’s notable record of opposing immigration reform and making divisive statements.
“Just like House Republicans, last week’s convention was short on inclusive immigration policy and long on hateful anti-immigrant rhetoric. This week hardworking Coloradans will hear real solutions to bring workers out of the shadows, keep families together, and make our country safer and stronger,” said DCCC Spokesman Tyler Law. “Donald Trump and Congressman Coffman’s backwards immigration stances only serve to divide our country and weaken our economy for working families.”
BACKGROUND
Coffman Replaced Tancredo, Carried On His Legacy
Coffman Said Former Congressman Tom Tancredo Was His Hero. In 2010, Coffman said Tancredo was his “hero,” while speaking at a Tea Party Express event. “It is a great honor for me to introduce, somebody that is my hero. Somebody that has served this country with honor and integrity and courage. Somebody when the republican establishment in Washington went so and violated the principles that got them elected, who did not stand with them and that is former congressman Tom Tancredo,” Coffman said. [Tea Party Express Denver, 3/31/10]
Would Continue Tom Tancredo’s Fight Against “Amnesty.” “I will continue the fight Congressman Tancredo has lead for many years and vote against any legislation that would grant amnesty to those who entered our country illegally,” Coffman said. [Coffman for Congress, archived 4/20/08]
“Coffman Adopted Much The Same Rhetoric And Policy Stances” As Tancredo. “For years the state’s deep-red Sixth District was represented by anti-illegal immigration crusader Tom Tancredo and, when he replaced Tancredo in 2008, Coffman adopted much the same rhetoric and policy stances.” [Colorado Independent, 6/06/13]
Congressman Coffman Praised Tancredo for Killing Republican Immigration Bill. In 2010, Congressman Coffman praised Tancredo for killing the Republican immigration bill. “When the Republican President of the United States with the Republican leadership with Democrat allies came up with a so-called immigration reform bill that did nothing to secure the borders of the United States and provided amnesty for those who have broken our laws, Tom Tancredo refused to stand with those Republicans. Tom Tancredo is the conservative in this race,” Coffman said. [Rally for Tom Tancredo, 10/17/10]
Said DREAM Act Would Be “A Nightmare” For Americans. “The Dream Act will be a nightmare for the American people. No doubt, we need immigration reform but the Dream Act is written far too broadly and it will only encourage more illegal immigration, promote chain migration, and will be a magnet for fraud,” he said. [Coffman Press Release, 12/08/10]
Coffman Said Obama Was “Not An American” In His Heart
Coffman Said Obama Was In His Heart “Not An American” And Questioned The President’s Birthplace. “At a May 12 fundraiser at the Elbert County Fairgrounds, Coffman wrapped up a 12-minute speech to donors with an unprompted discussion of President Obama’s citizenship and national identification. ‘I don’t know whether Barack Obama was born in the United States of America. I don’t know that,’ Coffman said. ‘But I do know this, that in his heart, he’s not an American. He’s just not an American.’” [Denver Post, 5/16/12]
Coffman Criticized Harshly By Hispanic Community Leaders
State Rep. Joe Salazar: Mike Coffman Paved The Way For Anti-Immigrant Donald Trump. “Congressman Mike Coffman was a loud supporter of the extreme anti-immigrant agenda long before Donald Trump rode his xenophobia to the top of the Republican polls. Trump may be hogging all the attention and crowding out his rivals, but his outrageous views towards immigrants and Latinos are common in the Republican Party. In fact, it is fair to say that Trump is Tancredo/Coffman 2.0 … Redistricting threw Coffman into a Congressional district where he had to face the same people he stoked xenophobic fears against. Since then, Mike ‘Tancredo is my Hero’ Coffman has been bottling up his true positions, leaving minority communities in the 6thCongressional District feeling concerned that his xenophobia will soon uncork itself. The Denver Post once said that it has been ‘difficult to pin him down on specifics.’ The reason why Coffman does not want to give specifics is because it will require him to show his poker hand – a hand that has a joker in it with the face of a Trump.” [Aurora Sentinel, 9/03/15]
State Sen. Jessie Ulibarri: Mike Coffman Is No Friend To Immigrants. “Coffman, despite a recent change in rhetoric, has not been a supporter of immigrants’ rights or immigration reform. While his talking points have changed, his actions have not. Throughout his 25-year political career, Coffman has espoused radical, anti-immigrant views … These actions tell us that Coffman has never been and will never be a friend to Colorado’s newest arrivals. It’s understandable that he would begin pandering to Latinos and immigrants now that he represents Colorado’s most ethnically diverse congressional district. However, voters in the 6th Congressional District are smart enough to see that the distortion of my words by Coffman’s campaign is meant solely to gain votes in a tight election.” [Denver Post, 6/05/14]
Coffman On English As The Official Language
February 2012: Cosponsored Legislation to Make English the Official Language of the United States. In 2012, Coffman cosponsored legislation to make English the official language of the United States: HR 997, the English Language Unity Act of 2011. The bill would make English the official language of the United States. The legislation would require official functions of the United States be conducted in English. It would create English language requirements and workplace policies in the public sector, and any exceptions to this standard “should be limited to extraordinary circumstances, such as asylum.” [Colorado Independent, 2/16/12]
April 2014: Said Minority Language Voters Should “Pull Out a Dictionary.” “One thing they ought to do is pull out a dictionary when they are at home, because the ballots have been sent to them a long time in advance. They can seek help from friends who speak English, look up words they do not know; sometimes you have to put a little more effort to assimilate into our culture.” [ColoradoPols, 4/21/14]
August 2013: Said he still Believed in English only Ballots. In 2013, when asked if he still believed in English only ballots Coffman said, “You know I still feel, part of my rewrite of immigration law, I mean if the law says you’re suppose to know English, I think the that the standards of citizenship in the United States under current law are too low that when we say in law you’re supposed to be able to comprehend English. I mean that’s exactly what we ought to mean and it shouldn’t be waiverable. We need to raise those standards for citizenship.” [Colorado Public Radio, 8/22/13]
Coffman On Birthright Citizenship
Coffman Cosponsored Congressman Steve King’s “Birthright Citizenship Act” To End The Constitutional Guarantee Of Citizenship To Children Born In The U.S. In January 2011, Coffman co-sponsored HR 140, the Birthright Citizenship Act. According to Congressional Quarterly the bill would have prohibited “the automatic granting of citizenship to U.S.-born children of illegal immigrants.” A columnist for the Denver Post wrote, “Two of our congressional representatives, Republicans Doug Lamborn and Mike Coffman, are co-sponsors of the Birthright Citizenship Act of 2011, which would run counter to the plain language of the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. … The 14th Amendment, passed in 1868, was one of the Republican Party’s major achievements … [but] Tom Tancredo says that it’s a ‘ridiculous and unconstitutional policy that automatically grants citizenship to any child born within the borders of the U.S. regardless of the legal status of that child’s parents.’” [HR 140, 1/07/11; Denver Post, 2/13/11; CQ, 1/24/11]
Coffman On Building A Fence
Coffman Sponsored Legislation To Complete A Fence Along The U.S. – Mexico Border. “U.S. Rep. Mike Coffman (R-Colorado) announced today that he will introduce legislation to complete the border fence with Mexico … ‘I believe securing our borders is within reach if we have the will to do it. The problem is that the border fence is yet to be completed,’ said Coffman … Coffman believes that the border fence provides an effective and an important linear defense that can be enhanced, in depth, by U.S. Border Patrol agents, ground sensors, cameras, and even thermal imaging that can detect movements at night.” [Coffman Press Release, 4/17/09]