Speech #820215196

But S. 2550 works mischief in still another area. I am referring to the threats in S. 2550 to the rights of American citizensAmerican citizens at home and abroad. American citizens by birth and by naturalization. American citizens in their early life as children. and American citizens fully mature and grown. The consequences of this bill upon the rights of citizens are so grave as to provide a separate. wholly sufficient ground in itself for the outofhand rejection of the McCarran bill. Those of my colleagues who have not studied the bill carefullyand since it has 302 pages I can understand whymay not realize that it has four titles. The first consists of the definitions which are often the heart of the provisions in the rest of the act. and as well certain matters of general application. The second title is "Immigration." and it contains most of the sections you have heard so justly criticized. The third title is "Nationality and Naturalization." Only after you read the first 183 pages do you come to this third title. It has three separate chapters. The first is "Nationality at Birth." The second is "Nationality through Naturalization." and the third is "Loss of Nationality." Senators may have heard mention of these chapters and the sections in them in connection with denaturalization proceedings or in connection with new conditions imposed on the naturalization of American citizens. and I shall refer to those before I am through. But let me point out that this third title. "Nationality and Naturalization." covers much more than naturalization proceedings and denaturalization proceedings. Chapter 1. "Nationality at Birth." will be the law governing the citizenship of all children born in the future. If it is enacted. it will determine whether the unborn children of our neighbors and friends and constituents are American citizens or not.