Yet another high-ranking Republican is eyeing the notion of changing the 14th Amendment to eliminate birthright citizenship for children who are born in the United States but whose parents are illegal immigrants. And this time it’s a very senior name — Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa.
Grassley’s communications director Jill Kozeny told the Iowa Independent: “For the past few years, Sen. Grassley has told constituents he’s concerned about the number of births in the United States by illegal immigrants wanting only to secure citizenship and benefits, and that he’d consider legislation to clarify the 14th amendment, especially if a comprehensive immigration bill is put forward. He’d agree that a hearing with legal experts and other parties of interest would help determine if changes are warranted.”
Grassley joins the ranks of other top Republicans in calling for a review of this as an issue, including Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Senate Minority Whip Jon Kyl (R-AZ), and possibly — depending on some ambiguity — Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY).
Eric Kleefeld
Eric Kleefeld joined TPM as an intern for the final months of the 2006 midterm elections, and then kept showing up for work. His other interests include guitars, old comic books and the politics of various English-speaking countries.
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