Is Buck McKeon A Racist Pig... Even When He Tries Not To Be?

Simi Valley makes up almost a third of Buck McKeon's congressional district (CA-25) but it was added to the district in the last cycle and McKeon-- the former mayor of Santa Clarita who has long since become a creature of Washington-- virtually never bothers going there. Preparing for a possible reelection challenge-- he's told the media he's running again and confided to local Republican politicians he's going to retire-- he ventured in Republican-friendly Simi Valley this week. Speaking on immigration reform at Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 10049 Wednesday, he asserted that terrorists from the Middle East might disguise themselves as Hipanics to cross the border. “There are people that can't tell the difference between a Hispanic person and an Arab person. If you get an Arab that’s coming into this country to be a terrorist, they can mingle in, and they can get in here, and then they can do damage.”

McKeon has been a consistent anti-Hispanic/anti-immigration Republican. But, having lost the heavily-Hispanic Antelope Valley third of the district in the last election, he's now indicating he wants to vote for immigration reform-- as long as these people are not given voting rights. He's backing Boehner and says there's no need for the Speaker to obey the Hastert Rule. He wants people to have "some kind of legal status" but is eager to create a two-tier system of residents in the U.S., some who have voting rights and some who don't. His district has the 9th biggest Hispanic population (38%) of any held by a Republican in the U.S. He may be trying to be more open-minded-- in his own reactionary way-- but his voting record is horrible and he was one of the minority who voted to deport DREAM students and has also wanted to change the Constitution to end birthright citizenship because of his hatred for and fear of Hispanics. Among his more critical statements on immigration reform in the past:

McKeon: “I Do Not Support Amnesty For Those That Entered the Country Illegally.” In 2013, on his congressional website, McKeon wrote, “First and foremost, I do not support amnesty for those that entered the country illegally.” [mckeon.house.gov, accessed 4/19/13]

McKeon: “Individuals Who Came Here Illegally Should Be Punished.” In 2013, on his congressional website, McKeon wrote, “I strongly believe that individuals who came here illegally should be punished to the fullest extent of the law, not rewarded for their actions.” [mckeon.house.gov, accessed 4/19/13]

McKeon: “We Need to Examine the “Anchor Baby” Policy.” In 2013, on his congressional website, McKeon wrote, “We need to examine the ‘anchor baby’ policy and must fully comprehend the message we are sending to individuals considering entering the country illegally.” [mckeon.house.gov, accessed 4/19/13]

Dr. Lee Rogers, the Democratic candidate for Congress, made the following statement after McKeon's latest rant in Simi Valley this week:

“The Congressman’s comments are insensitive to both Latinos and those of Arab descent. Certainly a secure border helps to make us safer, but xenophobic comments like these stoke unnecessary fears and discrimination against law abiding U.S. residents and immigrants. His comments put him the same category as other House Republicans who frequently use hateful rhetoric, like Rep. Louie Gohmert, who suggested that terrorists are crossing the border disguised as Mexicans to have terror babies in the U.S., and Rep. Steve King, who said that Latinos have calves the size of cantaloupes because they're hauling 75 pounds of marijuana across the border.

“What we need are real solutions to fix our broken immigration system, like supporting the bipartisan Senate bill offering a pathway to citizenship for 11 million undocumented residents of our country who badly want to become legalized, pay taxes, and partake in the American dream. I wish these guys in Washington would get over their foot-in-mouth disease and start acting like responsible Members of Congress who actually do something to improve the lives of people in our country.”

Blue America has endorsed Dr. Rogers and we're trying to help him raise funds to go up against McKeon on a more equal footing. Last year he came closer to beating McKeon than anyone had ever done. But McKeon-- the most heavily bribed Member of Congress by the Military Industrial Complex, spent $1,769,400 (only 2% coming from small, grassroots contributions and over40% from PACs looking for special treatment). Rogers spent $360,091, almost all of it grassroots money. If you'd like to help even that up a bit, you can contribute directly to Lee's campaign here.