FLASHBACK: Here's Sen. Harry Reid on why the U.S. should end birthright citizenship

Greg P. | 3:13 PM on October 30, 2018

In 1993, Sen. Harry Reid introduced the Immigration Stabilization Act of 1993 which would end the “incentive for pregnant alien women to enter the United States illegally, often at risk to mother and child, for the purpose of acquiring citizenship for the child and accompanying federal financial benefits.”

And here he he is on the Senate floor urging the other members to support his legislation:

Stopping the flow of illegal immigration used to be a bipartisan issue.

But the Democrat leaders of today want to abolish ICE and open our borders. pic.twitter.com/yhjpVsBns9

— Ronna McDaniel (@GOPChairwoman) October 30, 2018

According to PolitiFact, Reid changed his position over time:

So, in 1993, Reid was clearly for restricting birthright citizenship. He introduced a bill that would have “clarified” the 14th amendment to mean that children of illegal immigrants do not automatically become U.S. citizens at birth. Twenty years later, he seems to be agreeing with Gerson that Republicans have either lost their senses or abandoned their principles.

However, Reid has openly acknowledged his changed position on at least two occasions. In a House floor speech on August 5, 2006, he admitted that the “low point” of his legislative career came when he introduced the “travesty that [he] called legislation” in 1993. The Las Vegas Review-Journal also reported on December 13, 1999, that Reid said that the legislation is “way up high” on his “list of mistakes” and that it was “short-sighted.” He added, “I didn’t understand the issue. I’m embarrassed that I made such a proposal.”