This month, Iowa Republican Steve King in the House of Representatives and Louisiana Republican David Vitter in the U.S. Senate introduced twin bills to the new 114th Congress (H.R. 140 and S. 45), together called the Birthright Citizenship Act. If their legislation passes both houses, it would take American citizenship away from little babies who have lived their entire lives in the United States — who, indeed, were born in the USA. What offense would justify the removal of these American babies’ citizenship?
Have these babies embraced terrorism? No.
Have these babies joined Satanic cults? No.
Have these babies endorsed Obamacare? Of course not; they’re too young to speak.
These babies haven’t done a single thing wrong, and yet Rep. Steve King, Sen. David Vitter and the following list of Congressmen — all men, all Republican — are trying to take these babies’ citizenship away:
Why are Republicans so determined to pick on innocent babies and take their rights away? What is their grievous sin?
The babies are descended from foreigners.
That’s why.
Of course, if you go back long enough in history, all Americans are descended from foreigners; the species originated on another continent entirely. So, what’s the big deal?
Congressman King has said that these babies are a border security issue, but then, King’s district isn’t anywhere near the border with Mexico. In fact, only two out of the ten supporters of the Birthright Citizenship Act represent border states, and absolutely none of the ten supporters’ districts lies on the border with Mexico.
As it now stands in the United States of America, if you are born in this country, you’re a citizen. Being born in this country, not being of “pure blood descent” (a Nazi idea), is what brings you into the fold of citizenship. This idea about citizenship is so fundamental that it is formally enshrined in the United States Constitution:
All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside.
These babies are born in the United States. They are subject to the jurisdication of the United States, and have been for their whole lives. They are citizens of the United States. Let’s keep them that way: let’s reject Steve King’s citizenship act.