Posted on 11/24/2010 11:06:23 PM PST by iowamark
WASHINGTON, D.C. — If he moves into a U.S. House subcommittee chairmanship in January 2011 with the new Republican majority, Iowa Congressman Steve King said Monday he will work to end “birthright citizenship,” whereby babies born to undocumented immigrants in America are given citizenship.
King said the 14th Amendment, adopted in 1868 with a citizenship clause to address issues of the post-Civil War Reconstruction era, was not intended to give citizenship to a large number of babies born to parents who were not citizens.
“They did not contemplate there would be this kind of influx of illegals coming into the United States,” King said.
Elected to a fifth term earlier this month, King said the number of babies born to undocumented immigrants runs from 340,000 to as many as 750,000. He said a cottage industry has arisen to bring pregnant women without citizenship into America to give birth, thereby giving the babies access to government services.
“Sometimes by plan, (they) have a baby here so they can cash into this great ATM called America,” King said.
Further, King said, such “anchor babies” bring extended family members into America so they can also be granted citizenship, further straining government resources.
“There is a burden on our services, and it is substantial,” King said.
King said he wasn't sure if the majority of “anchor babies” born are of Latino descent, but said the largest number of those babies are born in Texas, California and Arizona, adjacent to the Mexican border. The heritage isn't the point, King said, but rather “that we have to have immigration laws, we have to draw the line and this is about drawing the line.”
King said a constitutional amendment isn't necessary to end birthright citizenship, since the 14th Amendment language “subject to the jurisdiction thereof,” indicated the amendment writers wanted exceptions for some Indian tribes and babies born to diplomats, who had sovereignty outside the United States. He said he believes a bill would be sufficient to halt birthright citizenship.
U.S. Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, earlier this year told The Hill newspaper the 14th Amendment should be left alone.
“(It) allows for citizenship that's not based on political considerations. Once you introduce political considerations, it degrades citizenship. If you're born here, you're a citizen. Period. No tests, no profiling, nothing else,” Harkin said.
King is likely to be named chairman of the House Judiciary Committee Subcommittee on Immigration, Citizenship, Refugees, Border Security and International Law. In the current Congress, Georgia Republican Nathan Deal introduced HR1868 to end citizenship birthright in April 2009, but it has remained in subcommittee after getting 95 cosponsors, including King.
As chairman, King said he would first hold hearings to build a case that birthright citizenship should not continue.
My gosh. I would walk across hot coals to get something like this passed.
Congress has the power to interpret the 14th Amendment anyway it wants without referring to the “subject to the jurisdiction” clause, because the last clause of the 14th Amendment has a provision that says Congress has the right to enforce the provisions of the amendment with appropriate legislation.
“Section 5. The Congress shall have power to enforce, by appropriate legislation, the provisions of this article.”
Uh, what does that mean exactly? The only thing that I can see happening that might be "degrading citizenship" is the anchor babies themselves.
"Uh, what does that mean exactly?"
I believe it's authentic frontier gibberish. Rarebitt!
“My gosh. I would walk across hot coals to get something like this passed.’’ Brother I’d be right behind you! Go Congressman King!
“I believe it’s authentic frontier gibberish.’’ Rarebitt!’’. “No good consarn’ scallywaggin’ bushwacker!! Rarebitt!!. — Gabby Johnson.
Why do the people of Iowa keep re-electing this miserable Harkin creature? He's clearly a Marxist through and through and his defense of anchor babies reveals that he hates America. Plus he's a unrepentant liar given his utterly fabricated stories about his "service" in Vietnam.
Is is the farm subsidies that endear him to Hawkeye state voter? Or is that never-say-die upper midwest "Progressivism" (Norris, Weaver, LaFollette, The Grange Movement) that keeps this scumbag in office?
Harkin always has several million dollars in campaign funds raised outside Iowa from leftist sources.
Nix on anchor babies PING
Great idea but the Illegal alien president isn’t going to sign it.
The next President will though
I wonder if campaign finance laws should only allow contributions from the population they represent ?
That's disgraceful but radical liberals (Soros, Streisand, William Henry Gates and the rest) always protect their own financially.
Thank goodness for Steve King, a voice of reason in Iowa and a true American Patriot who thoroughly groks the Constitution.
They need to stand on line just like everyone else. However, I don’t think their parents should ever get a chance for citizenship. Not everyone gets to become a citizen and certainly not someone who broke our laws.
“I wonder if campaign finance laws should only allow contributions from the population they represent ?”
You’re looking for quick fixes. That idea would hurt the tea party.
“(It) allows for citizenship that’s not based on political considerations. Once you introduce political considerations, it degrades citizenship. If you’re born here, you’re a citizen. Period. No tests, no profiling, nothing else,” Harkin said.
Everyone jumped on the money line in the article. When one thinks of the ramifications of that statement,the absolute nose in the air ignorance,its a wonder Harkin can walk and breathe at the same time. Unfettered access. How does that sound to the green crowd? People living in camps on the beaches of California? More of every type of garbage? How about the somewhat fiscally responsible blue dog? All our social services strained past breaking? Maybe a day long wait at the emergency room as we can only afford one doctor per hospital?
What gets me is this fake math (is it even fake math or just a here,close your eyes while i do this to you moment?)that somehow more people not paying or paying very little,in taxes will somehow make health care more affordable.
Then the idiots that say oh no,you can’t deport,its impossible,you have no idea what you’re suggesting and so forth. Seriously? Its cheaper to support someone forever than to spend money one time to keep them out?
You want a ‘shovel ready’ job? How many miles is the border? There’s a job waiting to be done,building the fence. Another ‘shovel ready’ job? How about the construction jobs illegals take that can be filled by American citizens. How many low tech job programs are out there these days? If building a fence isn’t one them then i don’t know what is. It surely does not need to be overly complex,only big enough and long enough to do the job.
Subject to the jurisdiction in the 14th Amendment came from Vattels the Law of Nations.
It means citizenship of the parents must be US.
The abuse of getting American citizenship needs to end. As it is, illegals can game the system, their pregnant women can come here, drop an anchor baby who is a full-fledged US citizen and they can get access to our full public benefits, no questions asked.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.