Station:    KNUS, 710 am

Guests:    Coffman, Mike

Link:        http://sengenberger.podbean.com/

Date:        April 7 , 2018

Topics:     Outreach, Immigrant Communities, Ethiopians, Hispanic, Asian-Indian, High Tech Workers, H1B Visas, Small Business, visas, Human Rights Issues, U.S. Foreign Policy, Roger Edwards, Primary Election, CD-6, DACA, Temporary Protected Status, Salvadorans, Diverse Electorate, Welfare Reform, Unemployment, Able-bodied Adults, Work Requirement,

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HOST JIMMY SENGENBERGER: [00:00:07] As we’ve been noting there was a congressional district assembly in the sixth C.D. today. And Congressman Mike Coffman won about 74 percent of the vote, and will not be facing a challenger in the primary. And for first reaction to this, we go straight to the VIP line where Congressman Coffman joins us here on the Jimmy Sengenberger Show. Sir, good evening and congratulations to you.

U.S. REPRESENTATIVE FROM COLORADO’S SIXTH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT, MIKE COFFMAN: [00:00:31] Hey, Jimmy! Thanks so much for having me today.

SENGENBERGER: [00:00:34] [I] really appreciate your taking a few minutes here. I know we are tight on time, but I want to ask you — kind of to extend this message. Obviously when there’s a challenger and they get some support, there’s always indications — of course, that is an indication — that there are some folks who say, “You know, there are some things that dissatisfy me about Congressman Coffman.” I want to ask you to take a moment to address those who have some concerns and to help bring them onboard.

COFFMAN: [00:00:58] Sure. First of all, let me just say that Roger Edwards I thought was an extraordinary candidate. He was very, very passionate. And I just appreciate him. I appreciate his views. I think that, you know, there’s no question I have to represent everyone in this district. But I think at the same time people should realize — again, as I said in my acceptance speech — that, you know, I voted for the largest tax cut in American history, that I voted to repeal the Obama era regulations that were strangling our economy. And I voted against that one — that 1.3 trillion dollar spending bill. And so, people are concerned that I’m not conservative enough. But I believe that I’m definitely there on the major issues, in terms of votes. And certainly, by — but the reality is I do represent a very diverse district.

SENGENBERGER: [00:01:58] And let’s talk about that for just a moment, because you have done –what I would say, and I was touting before — incredible outreach, Congressman Coffman, to this community, these varieties of different communities there. Tell us a little bit more about that.

COFFMAN: [00:02:11] Well, I think when you look at Aurora — Aurora is half the population of the congressional district, at 350,000. And in Aurora, there — you know, it’s — the minorities are the majority in Aurora. And so, — and there are three large immigrant groups. There is Hispanic. There is African immigrants. And there is Asian immigrants. And so, it’s reaching out to those different communities. Just before I had the call with you on your radio show, I was meeting with a group of Ethiopians — there’s a large Ethiopian community here — and [discussing] their concerns about human rights issues back in Ethiopia, and U.S. foreign policy relative to that. So, constantly working. And every group has a different immigration issues. I think the — there’s a large Asian Indian community here, and they’re concerned about reforms to the H1B visa process, for high tech workers. The Koreans, it’s the E2 visa process, for starting small businesses. And so, you know, and no doubt for the Hispanic community it’s it’s the DACA issue. And I know that conservatives are very divided on that issue. And in the –there is the El Salvador community, too, that has a subset of the Hispanic community, and their issue is Temporary Protected Status. So, every community is different. But I’ve really reached out. I think that there’s a view in a lot of these communities that Republicans are simply anti-immigrant. And the answer is, “No, we’re anti-illegal immigration.” But there is a narrative that we’re anti-immigrant and it’s being in those communities to break that narrative.

SENGENBERGER: [00:03:55] And just final question for you — just a, kind of a political one. Moving forward, what’s the strategy for the road ahead?

COFFMAN: [00:04:03] Well, I think — you know, it’s obviously going to be a very challenging election this year. But it’s — it’s working hard on the issues that matter to this Congressional district. It’s building those coalitions in the immigrant communities to align — where we align, in terms of conservative values. I mean, so many of them are aspirational to the American Dream. I mean, their goal in life is to own their own small business. They don’t want to work for somebody else. They don’t have, you know, have a handout for government services — certainly, most of them. And so that’s certainly the road ahead. I think we’re doing great things. I mean, having — you know, again, passed this big tax reform bill and the regulatory reform. The economy’s doing really well. I think we’ve got some great things to sell. I think [what] we want to do, as I mentioned in my speech today, that we’d like to do some welfare reform in order to better control spending. There was such a explosion of welfare programs under under President Obama, under the prior administration. And so, it’s about looking at all those programs and having a work requirement associated with them — either you are working or you’re involved in job training program. But there’s so many people– our unemployment rate is low, but that’s only people actively looking for jobs. When you look at the number of people that are sitting on the sidelines that are receiving some form of public assistance, it’s a big number and particularly when it comes to able bodied people that ought to be in the workforce that are not.

SENGENBERGER: [00:05:34] So, very important, and a conservative stand, to be sure, when it comes to the welfare issues. Congressman Mike Coffman, [I] appreciate you taking a few minutes this evening. Once again, congratulations! And we look forward to your re-election.

COFFMAN: [00:05:46] Thanks so much. I appreciate it.

SENGENBERGER: [00:05:48] Now, once again, Congressman Mike Coffman joining us here on the Jimmy Sengenberger Show, Newstalk 710 KNUS, noting that right after he won the seat once again — at least, the nomination once again — immediately after, where does he go? He goes to meet with this Ethiopian working group, a community that is important in Aurora. He didn’t take a break, and just sit down and relax and, you know, enjoy the victory. He said, “I’m going to meet with this group of Ethiopians that are important to me.” And he has done extensive outreach to the Ethiopian community, to other African communities, as he noted, to the Asian community, the Hispanic community, to different groups that Republicans often aren’t seen automatically as being supportive of, because of — particularly because of the media and the impression that’s being given by the media and the Democrats in office is that Republicans hate and despise immigrants. They hate and despise minorities. And as the Congressman was just pointing out, it’s absolutely false, that narrative. I mean, it’s quite clear that it’s false. And Mike Coffman shines the light on that reality. He demonstrates that there is a pathway to winning these minority communities without compromising too much, in any way, certain values and principles and precepts.