Bernie Moreno is pushing a concrete fix to birthright citizenship by reintroducing a measure modeled on a 1993 bill, arguing Congress must act after a recent Supreme Court decision and pointing to past Democratic support for similar language.

After the Supreme Court’s predictable and frustrating decision on birthright citizenship, Ohio Senator Bernie Moreno says Congress has to step in. He argues the current interpretation of the 14th Amendment has been exploited by foreign actors, including the CCP, who use birth tourism and illegal entry to gain advantages for their children.

Moreno’s move leans on an unlikely source of inspiration: a proposal from the late Senator Harry Reid in 1993. Reid’s draft, called the Immigration Stabilization Act of 1993, sought to redefine who qualifies for citizenship at birth, and Moreno plans to reintroduce a similar measure in Congress now.

The Reid framework would have removed automatic U.S. citizenship for children born to illegal aliens while clarifying that citizenship at birth belongs to those born to U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents. That clarity is the core of Moreno’s pitch: restore the rule of law and stop rewarding illegal behavior with instant citizenship for offspring.

https://x.com/berniemoreno/status/2072042660303454448

Republicans see this as a straightforward legislative fix that restores meaningful immigration boundaries without rewriting the Constitution from the bench. Moreno and others argue Congress, not the courts, must set the rules for how the 14th Amendment is applied in modern immigration contexts, especially when bad actors exploit gaps for political or economic advantage.

Reid’s 1993 proposal never cleared the Senate Judiciary Committee, but the language and rationale remain politically useful now. Supporters point to the practical consequences of the current regime: incentivized border crossings, birth tourism industries that profit off U.S. law, and public costs borne by taxpayers when children born here get immediate access to public benefits.

Here’s video of Reid discussing the bill.

“We wonder in this country why we have an illegal immigration problem,” Reid said. “If making it easy to be an illegal alien isn’t enough, how about offering a reward for being an illegal immigrant? No sane