Ohio Senator Bernie Moreno has revealed intentions to reintroduce a legislative proposal from 1993, originally put forth by the late Democratic Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. This announcement comes after the Supreme Court's recent decision effectively halted Republican initiatives aimed at ending birthright citizenship.
Speaking on Tuesday, just hours after the high court's ruling, Moreno stated, "When I get back from recess on July 13th, [I'm going to introduce] the identical bill."
Moreno elaborated on his motivation, suggesting the move would underscore two key points: "What it's going to do is highlight two things — the Democrats of today are nothing like the Democrats of 1993 and, if they choose to reject a bill sponsored by their majority leader that they named an airport in Las Vegas after, then I think my Republican colleagues have no choice. We have to recognize that these Democrats want to systematically destroy this country."
Revisiting the 1993 Immigration Stabilization Act
The legislation Moreno referenced is the Immigration Stabilization Act of 1993, a measure championed by Reid that included provisions to modify birthright citizenship, among other immigration reforms. Independent fact-checking organization PolitiFact noted that Section 1001 of Reid's original bill, titled "Basis of Citizenship Clarified," explicitly stated that children born in the United States to parents who are not lawful residents should not automatically be granted U.S. citizenship.
A press release from Reid's Nevada office at the time further explained the bill's intent, indicating it would "clarif[y] that a person born in the United States to an alien mother who is not a lawful resident is not a U.S. citizen."
According to PolitiFact, the underlying rationale for this provision was to eliminate the incentive for pregnant undocumented women to enter the U.S. specifically to give birth on American soil. Despite its aim, Reid's 1993 bill ultimately did not advance beyond the committee stage.
Moreno's Path Forward
Moreno confirmed that his upcoming bill will be an exact replica of Reid's original proposal. He urged his Republican colleagues on Tuesday to consider eliminating the legislative filibuster to ensure the bill's passage. He emphasized, "[Justice Kavanaugh] said that what we have to do is clarify what citizenship means. We can do that through an act of Congress."
