Sen. Schmidt Voices Concerns Over Supreme Court’s Citizenship Ruling
In light of recent decisions from the Supreme Court, one Senate Republican is raising alarms about potential national security risks. Sen. Eric Schmidt (R-Missouri) expressed his worries about the implications of a 6-3 ruling regarding birthright citizenship. He believes the United States could become more exposed to threats, particularly from China. In a discussion, he proposed a series of steps lawmakers and the administration should take to address these concerns.
“I want to get this done because I truly believe the future of this country is at stake,” Schmidt remarked. He emphasized that, “It’s insane that foreign generals could send their spouses here to give birth, then, after 18 years, those children could return and claim citizenship.”
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While there’s a debate among lawmakers about whether to amend the Constitution or pursue legislation, Schmidt finds himself engaged in both discussions. He insists there are solutions across various timelines—short-term, medium-term, and long-term.
“The short-term solution is executive action; the medium-term involves legislative initiatives, while constitutional reform serves as the long-term strategy,” he explained. “We should pursue all possible avenues.”
Though a constitutional amendment stands as the most apparent approach to challenge the court’s ruling, he suggested that pursuing legislation might prove to be a more feasible route. He’s tracing pathways that Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh hinted at in his ruling.
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Kavanaugh mentioned that “Congress may amend or enact new laws under the Fourteenth Amendment to create exceptions to birthright citizenship for children illegally or temporarily born to aliens in this country,” noting that such actions had yet to be taken by lawmakers.
Schmidt’s proposed bill aims to clarify the language of the 14th Amendment. The court’s interpretation suggests that any child born on U.S. soil automatically receives citizenship. Schmidt wants to amend the text to indicate that citizenship “shall not be influenced by foreign powers,” which he argues would preserve the 14th Amendment’s intended meaning and help prevent foreign entities from quietly gaining citizenship.
Schmidt Raises Past Legislative Support
However, navigating the legislative waters can be tricky, especially with the Senate’s 60-vote threshold to overcome a filibuster. This means that Schmidt or any other Republican advocating for changes regarding birthright citizenship will need bipartisan support from Democrats to succeed.
He referenced the Immigration Stabilization Act of 1993, initiated by the late Senator Harry Reid. That legislation aimed to adjust the 14th Amendment to hinder citizenship for children of illegal immigrants born in the U.S. Schmidt questioned whether today’s Democrats would support similar measures, noting, “It wasn’t that long ago that Harry Reid enacted legislation to address this issue.” He added a provocative question regarding whether they would learn from recent experiences, particularly concerning immigration policy under the current administration.
“Do they truly believe in sovereignty? Or will they adapt more to the needs of the American public?” Schmidt continued, pondering the Democrats’ position in light of ongoing challenges.
