CNN Lou Dobbs Tonight - Transcript

CNN Lou Dobbs Tonight - Transcript
4/5/2005

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My guest tonight introduced legislation in Congress to deny citizenship to so-called anchor babies. Those are babies born to illegal aliens in this country. Critics have called the legislation simply un-American.

Congressman Nathan Deal, a Republican from the state of Georgia, joins us tonight.

Good to have you with us, congressman.

REP. NATHAN DEAL ®, GEORGIA: Thank you, Lou. Nice to be with you.

DOBBS: Why do you think this legislation is necessary?

DEAL: Well, the United States is in a small minority of countries in the world that continue to grant what we call birthright citizenship, and that is, to grant citizenship to a child regardless of the legal status of the parents. Now, I think it's time that we looked at the issue and addressed it in a serious fashion. And I have legislation to do that.

DOBBS: And that legislation, what has within been the reaction amongst your colleagues?

DEAL: Well, it's difficult to get support on an issue, because we have done this for so very long, of just allowing citizenship to be granted.

But I think we're gaining support. We now have some 22 sponsors in the House. We're gaining sponsors every day.

But you know, less than a year ago, Ireland, which was the only member of the European Union that continued to grant birthright citizenship, in an overwhelming, over 80 percent voted to repeal that. And so we are really...

DOBBS: Why (UNINTELLIGIBLE)...

DEAL: ... one of the few countries that continue to grant birthright citizenship.

DOBBS: And why did Ireland make that decision? I know the answer, congressman, but I think it's instructive.

DEAL: Well, first of all, Ireland had lost population back a couple of decades back. And they had had a policy to encourage people to come. But they were the only member of the E.U., and therefore, if you were granted citizenship or the right to come into one of the E.U. countries, you had the right to go anywhere within the European Union without really presenting any further documentation.

I think they were getting pressure from some of the other European countries that objected. DOBBS: Much as a state in this country, if it was carrying out a policy that would influence the rest of this country.

The idea that immigration is being tackled, about-estimates 200,000 to 400,000 so-called anchor babies born in this country each year. It's unclear how many, in all fairness, is-are actually born of illegal aliens, and how many of legal, because of the way the records are kept, or not kept, in this country.

The idea that Congress refuses to accept, when we have now empirical evidence of what is happening-Kitty Pilgrim just reported on the impact of-even if this were legal immigration right now, the massive impact that it would have on our environment, the economic detriment to the country. Certainly employers, hiring illegal aliens, achieve a substantial economic benefit. I never want to question that, it...

Why isn't Congress capable of finding the will to actually represent, in both parties, American working families, the middle class in this country, without which the elites don't exist, and certainly without which the country won't exist very long?

DEAL: Well, I hope that Congress is beginning to get the message. You know, it started out with only the border states being the one that felt the impacts. But now states such as mine, in Georgia, that is not a border state have tremendous social impacts. And in this case, citizenship to a child born of illegal parents, immediately that child is eligible for welfare, for subsidized housing, for Medicaid, and obviously for schooling.

And the impacts are just huge on local communities, local health delivery systems.

DOBBS: Let me try it again, Congressman. Do you think that-can you explain to our viewers why the United States Congress right now on-and I, I mean, we can go through every issue you want. We can talk about energy, we can talk about healthcare, we can go down the line. This Congress, and let's leave the presidency out of it right now, because there's a whole different issue there.

But why isn't Congress taking its responsibility to represent working men and women in this country seriously? Has corporate America just overwhelmed our system of government?

DEAL: Well, I certainly hope not. I think that it is simply a matter of hearing from people back home. And hopefully this program tonight will encourage your viewers to write their congressman, to call their congressman, and encourage them to get on legislation such as this to change the attitude that we have.

We've got to get serious about the problem. It is overwhelming. We have to start somewhere. This is a good place to start.

DOBBS: Well, Congressman, we thank you for being here. And to follow up your suggestion, we'll remind our viewers here tonight, you can go to our Web site, loudobbs.com, and send Congress a message. There's a little box on the Web site, on the home page. Just click that and put in your state and your district, and away you go. You can send your thoughts straight to the U.S. Congress and the U.S. Senate.

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