House Speaker Calls for Congressional Action on Birthright Citizenship
Speaker Mike Johnson said Congress should consider legislation to limit birthright citizenship, citing concerns over so-called birth-tourism and national security.
House Speaker Mike Johnson told Fox News Sunday on July 5 that Congress should move quickly on a bill to curb birthright citizenship, which he said is being exploited by "birthright tourism" and has "devalued" U.S. citizenship. He described the practice as a threat to the rule of law and national security and said any viable legislation would be advanced "immediately."
Johnson did not identify a specific proposal but said Republicans are reviewing options. He also indicated an effort to pass the SAVE America Act, a Trump-backed election reform measure, through budget reconciliation.
The discussion follows a Supreme Court decision that upheld the 14th Amendment’s citizenship clause, confirming that children born in the United States to parents who are unlawfully or temporarily present are citizens. A majority of justices ruled the provision constitutionally protected, while Justice Brett Kavanaugh noted that Congress could create exceptions for children of illegal immigrants.
Legislation to restrict birthright citizenship was introduced last year by Sen. Lindsey Graham and Rep. Brian Babin, aiming to narrow the definition of who is "subject to the jurisdiction" of the United States. Estimates of births to so-called birth tourists vary widely, with researchers citing figures from 2,000 to 39,000 annually, though a group of university professors told the Court that such cases represent an "infinitesimal proportion" of U.S. births.
Lawmakers remain divided on the issue; Sen. Ted Cruz called it a "blatant abuse" of immigration laws, while Sen. Peter Welch described it as a marginal concern.
