Rep defends birthright citizenship against birth tourism concerns


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During a recent episode of HBO’s “Real Time,” Democratic Representative Ro Khanna engaged in a spirited debate about birthright citizenship, defending the constitutional principle against proposed changes.

Khanna emphasized his commitment to fundamental American values, asserting that American citizenship should be granted to anyone born on U.S. soil. He criticized Republican attitudes toward the Constitution, suggesting they only support it when convenient. The California representative highlighted America’s unique quality of offering opportunities to children born to parents from any background, regardless of their wealth or status.

“[W]e’re going to speak for basic American values. If you’re born in America, you’re an American, period. And when he’s going after that — all the Republican lecturing, we’re for the Constitution, we’re for the founders, until they’re not. You know what makes America exceptional? The fact that your parents can come from any country, be of any faith, not have wealth, not have fame, and if you’re born in America, you can go as far as you want. And that’s what Donald Trump is taking away.”

Show host Bill Maher challenged this perspective, pointing to instances of birth tourism, particularly citing wealthy Chinese individuals who travel to America specifically to secure citizenship for their children. “Come on, man. Rich Chinese people come here just — they fly over here and then they have the baby here just so they can be an American citizen. It has been bastardized. You can’t say that this is just all for the good.”

In response, Khanna drew a parallel to historical rhetoric about welfare recipients, suggesting that using extreme examples shouldn’t justify constitutional amendments. “This is like the Reagan welfare queens, they pick out some extreme example, but you’re going to change the Constitution over that?”