Speech #760277242

While this statute requires specifically that the parent should have resided in the United States prior to the birth of the child. it does not require that he or she should have resided in this country for any specified length of time. It may be that I will not have time to discuss this bill as fully as I should. and I want to call attention to one thing which I do not think you realize that is extremely important. That is this: Do you know that a man and his wife who are Italians may come to this country and become naturalized. then return to Italy and have children born to them abroad while they are still citizens of this country. or go to Germany or some other country. and yet those children who have never been in this country are citizens of the United States. because both of their parents were American citizens when the children were born. These children continue to be citizens of the United States unless they voluntarily perform some act of expatriation. There are thousands of them abroad now who have dual citizenship.