Steve King Moves Forward on Bill to End Birthright Citizenship

CBS

Updated at 1:40 p.m. ET with a correction.

Republican Rep. Steve King of Iowa, a leading conservative voice on immigration issues, introduced a bill on Wednesday to end the practice of birthright citizenship.

The bill would amend section 301 of the Immigration and Nationality Act to clarify those classes of individuals born in the United States who are nationals and citizens of the United States at birth.

It's generally thought that the 14th Amendment provides a constitutional guarantee of citizenship for anyone born in the United States -- known as "birthright citizenship" -- but King told Hotsheet last year that he does not interpret the 14th Amendment that way.

Concerns about illegal immigration last year spurred some Republicans to call for a debate over birthright citizenship, and Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) said last year he was considering proposing a constitutional amendment so that children born in the U.S. to illegal immigrants would not automatically be citizens.

King is a senior Republican on the immigration subcommittee in the House Judiciary Committee. However, Rep. Lamar Smith (R-Texas), chairman of the Judiciary Committee, told Politico last year that issues like birthright citizenship will "not [be] our initial focus" in the committee.

"The focus is on creating jobs and protecting jobs," Smith said, adding that he would first take up issues like expanding E-Verify, a voluntary electronic system for checking the immigration status of workers that's supported by President Obama.

So far, King's bill has three co-sponsors listed: Reps. Phil Gingrey (R-Ga.), Gary Miller (R-Calif.) and Rob Woodall (R-Ga.).

Meanwhile, holding Washington's feet to the fire on the issue, Republican state lawmakers from five states came to the capitol Wednesday to unveil their own state-driven plan to curtail birthright citizenship. The lawmakers said that legislation addressing the issue will be introduced in 14 states, though they expect it to be immediately challenged in court as unconstitutional.

It was a state law passed in Arizona last year, one that made it a state crime to be in the country undocumented, which brought back the issue of illegal immigration and birthright citizenship to the forefront of national debate in the first place.

UPDATE: This story was updated to note that King is not the chairman of the immigration subcommittee.

[canislupus16]

I'm on board with that. Just because one's birth mother is here illegally - or legally for that matter, on a visa for example - should not be the basis for the automatic conferring of citizenship.
The 14th Amendment was passed in response to the SCOTUS' Dred Scott decision. At the time, it was the right thng to do. We are past that and the reality and situation are different now.

[concernedusacitizen2005]

Yes, we Americans should protest against Illegal immigration (stop birth right citizenship), H1B, L1 Visa....
Many in IT jobs are forced to train someone with H1B visa and are asked to leave the company. Corporatism is like mafia controlling the government.
We all should march against this atrocity. Microsoft laid-off 5,000 employees and replaced all of them with H1B visa holders. Wake up America!
All these H1B's wives are having kids in USA and even if they have to leave US for now, they will be back when the kid could sponsor them when he/she turns 21. By this there will be millions of unpatriotic so-called Americans in the near future.
This loop hole used by H1B, L1 and illegal immigrants could by stopped by removing birth right citizenship and change the law like France, Germany and Australia.

[Calendular]

The reform being advocated by the Congressman is one of several suggested by the United States Commission on Immigration Reform. That panel was established by Congress through legislation which created a group of experts from throughout the public and private sectors to study immigration law reforms and to recommend improvements to the existing law.

[bondsman_dotmac]

It is about time it was done since it is like two Chihuahua's having an American Bulldog and that can not happen so fix it and that is the best way to do it.

[kerthialfad]

We need to start enforcing the fourteenth amendment.

[jimbom121]

How is it not being enforced.

[oldbasicgal]

It has never been such a problem as it has been the last twenty years. It has to stop. Unless born to citizens, a newborn should not become an instant citizen.

[jimbom121]

You do realize the illegal immigration is down 20% since 2006.

[velma179]

We do have to respect the entire Constitution oldbasicgal, even when you don't like what it says in any given passage.

jimbom121 is correct. The problem hasn't been any greater in the last twenty years, but the rhetoric about it has gotten louder in the last two years for sure! I wonder why...

[kerthialfad]

No other modern developed nation has such a practice. And these same nations have decent healthcare, education, and strong unions for their citizens. That is the kind of nation I want mine to be.

[Tmeixner]

Canada has birthright citizenship.

[nearl451]

Be interested to see King reference the 14th amendment as the reason his proposed bill is "lawful'.

Laughable.

[forsanity1]

This is just another grandstanding, showboat bill that will go nowhere.

The Senate won't pass it.

But the GOP blowhards have to get their "make the base happy" crap out of the way quick -- before the intelligent in the electorate wake up and realize ... where ARE the jobs you were supposed to create?

[velma179]

I do agree that putting all this non essential legislation up for votes will very well have a huge backfire effect on the GOP House.

People don't wake up in the morning saying "how's that deficit today?", much less "was a baby born to an illegal immigrant just now?".

They wake up and say "honey, can we afford this or that for our family".

[towler10]

They have been in office a few days and you are already asking "where are the jobs?" You are a sad useful idiot, forsanity1

[joelwisch2]

Aren't we all citizens due to birthright? I'm pretty sure the only natural citizens are American Indians, Eskimos, and Hawaiians.
----------------------------------------------
Nope. Their are NO natural citizen of the United States. The Mexican Nationals don't actually know better because they usually come from a school run by Catholics. North America was always run by the biggest tribe won, and ran the country. When the European Tribes arrived from England, France, Germany and Russia, they were the biggest and strongest.

Per the Birthright citizenship: the only question is why did Congress allow this to continue for so long? The cost has been staggering and while Congress doesn't care what it costs us, we do not have any way at all to stop this sort of abuse next time. And.. we NEED the ability to stop Congress when they abuse us.

[forsanity1]

Wow, so nobody in this whole country is eligible to be president.

joelwisch2.... why do you hate the US Constitution so much?

PS -- please learn grammar, proper word usage and spelling, especially if you claim English as your native language.