Speech #880202088

In the light of the legislative history of the 14th amendment. I felt that this clause when read together with section 5 of the 14th amendment offered a foundation for a comprehensive public accommodations bill. The first clause states: All persons born or naturalized in the United States. and subject to the jurisdiction thereof. are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside. The fifth section gave Congress the power to legislate to enforce the amendment. Federal citizenship was made dominant over State citizenship. reversing the preCivil War status of citizenship. Congress acquired new obligations to persons born or naturalized within the jurisdiction of the United States. To say that there are rights and duties flowing from the status of citizenship is to state the obvious. The rights to protection abroad and access to public office at home are rights flowing from citizenship.