Speech #860068107

In addition. there are thousands of American civilian families in foreign countries throughout the world. Our Governments international activities. the increase in frequency of overseas business operations. and the tremendous surge in overseas tourdsm. mean that we can expect more Americans to be born in foreign countries than ever before in our history. Our naturalization laws must be amended to take into account this changing international situation. The outmoded provisions of the present laws were forcefully brought to my attention by a constituent who wrote to me about the experience of his son. His sons two children were born in Germany in 1957 and 1958. while the son. an Army officer. was stationed there on Army duty. Both the son and his wife are nativeborn Americans. Despite this. the only way certificates of citizenship could be obtained for their children was to wait until they returned to the United States. At that time they would have to file the same kind of form as is used in the case of persons who are aliens at birth and who seek naturalization by reason of the naturalization of their parents. Moreover. the only birth certificates that could be obtained for these American children were those issued by public officials in the locale of the birth. Frankfurt and GarmischPartenkirchen.