{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://babin.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=11015", "Babin Unveils New Bill to End Birth Tourism, Combat Illegal Immigration", "2023-12-08", "2023", "2023-12", "Republican", "House", "TX", "Brian Babin", "B001291", "babin.house.gov", "babin", "https://babin.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx?DocumentTypeID=27", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, DC \u2013 U.S. Congressman Brian Babin (TX-36) issued the following statement on his new bill, the Birthright Citizenship Act of 2023 (H.R. 6612). This legislation has 21 original cosponsors and will ensure America properly implements Section 1 of the 14th Amendment to the Constitution \u2013 ending birth tourism.\n\n\u201cFor a period following its enactment, Section 1 of the 14th Amendment was properly applied as written and intended: to ensure all American citizens were afforded the sacred constitutional protections they deserve,\u201d said Congressman Brian Babin, House Border Security Caucus Co-chair. \u201cWhile these important protections remain, in recent decades, the misapplication of specific language in the amendment has led to the implementation of the practice of birthright citizenship by which children born to foreign nationals \u2013 from illegal migrants to tourists to refugees \u2013 are automatically granted United States citizenship. Birthright citizenship has long served as a powerful incentive for illegal immigration, and, over time, has become wrongly accepted as law, with supporters claiming it is guaranteed by our Constitution. Birthright citizenship is enabled by faulty legal application, and ending the practice by clarifying eligibility is a necessary step toward fixing our broken immigration system and stopping the continued exploitation of America\u2019s generosity. We must act to put an end to this misguided policy that has fueled the worsening border crisis and weakened our national sovereignty for far too long. I appreciate my colleagues\u2019 support of this important bill and hope to move it swiftly through the House of Representatives.\u201d\n\n\u201cWe must protect the integrity of our legal immigration system and not permit loopholes to be exploited,\u201d Congressman Bob Good (VA-05). \u201cI thank Rep. Babin for his leadership in introducing the Birthright Citizenship Act, which prevents birth tourism and safeguards the 14th amendment of the Constitution.\u201d\n\n\u201cEvery year, thousands of migrants enter the country illegally and give birth knowing their children will reap the benefits of their parents\u2019 lawbreaking \u2014 the rights, privileges, and immunities of U.S. citizenship,\u201d said Congressman Chip Roy (TX-21). \u201cIt\u2019s time to end this unfair, extraconstitutional practice that incentivizes illegal border crossings. The Birthright Citizenship Act \u2014 which I am proud to cosponsor with my friend and fellow Texan, Brian Babin \u2014 ensures children born in the U.S. to illegal alien parents do not automatically receive American citizenship.\u201d\n\n\u201cThe expressed distinction of United States citizenship is a gift that is too often taken for granted by the American people,\u201d said Congressman Byron Donalds (FL-19). \u201cAs a result of Joe Biden\u2019s disastrous mishandling of our nation\u2019s borders, the United States has descended into an unprecedented humanitarian and national security crisis, in which illegal aliens are systematically exploiting our legal immigration system through the explosion of birth tourism. Simply put, birthright citizenship should only be reserved for United States citizens, legal permanent residents of the United States, and legal immigrants serving in the United States military.\u201d\n\n\u201cThis bill closes the citizenship loophole that has incentivized millions of illegal migrants to flood our southern border,\u201d said Congressman Bill Posey (FL-08).\n\n\u201cThe United States is one of the only countries in the world to allow an immigrant to enter the country illegally, including tourists, have a baby, and then deem that child an American citizen,\u201d said Congressman Glenn Grothman (WI-06). \"At a time when our Southern border is overrun with over 200,000 illegal immigrants every month, this flawed interpretation of the 14th Amendment has been exploited to drive even more illegal immigrants to the country and take unfair advantage of essential services that are meant for legal citizens. It is time for the U.S. Congress to work together to strengthen and encourage legal migration rather than continuing to turn a blind eye to the lawlessness that is destroying America from within.\u201d\n\n\u201cThe Fourteenth Amendment is a critical protection that is being abused by illegal immigrants,\u201d said Congressman Buddy Carter (GA-01). \u201cThis bill preserves the intent of the constitution and ensures that those who want to be U.S. citizens go through the legal process.\u201d\n\n\u201cThis legislation keeps our immigration law consistent with the Framers\u2019 original intent by closing an outrageous loophole that incentivizes and rewards illegal immigration,\u201d said Congressman Eli Crane (AZ-02). \u201cThis past year, illegal immigration cost American taxpayers $150 billion \u2013 an inexcusable burden that\u2019s fueled, in part, by the current birthright citizenship scheme. I\u2019m glad to see this bill introduced, which will fortify our immigration system and rectify a flawed interpretation of the 14th Amendment.\u201d\n\nTo read the bill text, please click here.\n\nTo read the Daily Caller\u2019s exclusive on the bill, please click here.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T01:14:16Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://babin.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=11015"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.8845787961035967, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}