Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson is weighing a vote on legislation (the Anchors Away Act [1]) that would block foreign pregnant women from entering the United States in an effort to curb “birth tourism” after the Supreme Court rejected President Donald Trump’s effort to end birthright citizenship at the end of June.
The proposal would give House Republicans a chance to show voters they are serious about tightening immigration laws. It would also give conservatives something tangible to support after the court ruled birthright citizenship remains protected under the 14th Amendment.
The Anchors Away Act would make inadmissible any pregnant alien seeking entry to the United States as a nonimmigrant who is not married to a U.S. citizen. That means the restriction would apply broadly to pregnant women seeking tourist, student, business and other temporary visas, regardless of whether they intend to give birth in the United States or seek citizenship for their child.
But there’s one problem with getting the legislation passed – and it’s the same obstacle Republicans keep running into whenever they try to pass important legislation.
Even if the bill sails through the House, it’s expected to run headfirst into the Senate filibuster, where 60 votes are needed to advance most legislation. In other words, the measure may generate headlines, campaign ads and social media posts – but not much federal law. Even if all of the RINOS in the Senate agree to the bill, it’s doubtful that we’ll find any Democrats signing onto it.
So expect plenty of speeches about ending birth tourism, followed by the familiar Washington ending: the House passes something, the Senate shrugs, and Americans get another reminder that calling the Senate “Republican-controlled” doesn’t necessarily mean any Republican priorities become law.
Meanwhile, Trump has asked the Supreme Court to rehear [2] the case, though such requests are rarely granted.