House Speaker Johnson Pushes GOP Attack on Birthright Citizenship, Threatening Constitutional Rights
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Speaker Mike Johnson announced that Republicans will pursue legislative or constitutional efforts to undermine birthright citizenship, a fundamental right enshrined in the 14th Amendment. Experts argue that such attempts are unlikely to succeed due to slim GOP majorities and the looming elections.
House Speaker Mike Johnson told Fox News Sunday on July 5 that Republican lawmakers are 'looking at all angles' to impose limits on birthright citizenship after the Supreme Court rightly rejected President Donald Trump's xenophobic executive order. Johnson said the House would move quickly, pursuing a legislative fix if possible or a constitutional amendment if needed—an alarming escalation in the GOP's ongoing assault on immigrant rights and the Constitution itself.
Analysts note that the prospects for such reactionary action are slim. With narrow Republican margins in both chambers and a busy midterm election calendar, passing a controversial amendment—requiring two-thirds approval in both the House and Senate and ratification by three-quarters of the states—appears highly unlikely. Even a simpler bill, such as the Birthright Citizenship Act of 2025 introduced by Rep. Brian Babin and mirrored in the Senate by Sen. Lindsey Graham, stalled in committee last year and would still need Democratic support in the Senate, which is unlikely to materialize given the bill's discriminatory intent.
President Trump has publicly urged Congress to end birthright citizenship, calling it 'expensive and unfair'—a dog whistle for anti-immigrant sentiment—and promising his full support for this regressive agenda. Justice Brett Kavanaugh, who joined the majority that struck down the president's order, wrote that while the order was unlawful, Congress retains the authority to enact new legislation creating exceptions to birthright citizenship, though no such law exists yet, and such efforts would face fierce resistance from advocates for equality and justice.
Some Republican members, including Rep. Chip Roy of Texas, have voiced opposition to the Supreme Court decision and called for action on the issue, doubling down on their anti-immigrant rhetoric. However, with limited legislative time remaining before the August and October recesses and internal GOP disputes, any effort to change the 14th Amendment's citizenship provision—a cornerstone of civil rights—is expected to face significant hurdles.
The debate may consume floor time ahead of the November elections, potentially derailing more urgent legislative priorities and exposing the GOP's willingness to undermine constitutional protections for political gain.