Meg Whitman and Carly Fiorina: No 14th Amendment repeal

By Andy Barr, Politico

California GOP candidates Meg Whitman and Carly Fiorina have both come out against a repeal of the 14th Amendment, joining a growing chorus of GOP voices denouncing the idea of removing birthright citizenship from the Constitution. ( ) (My underlining and question mark -- CB)

"Meg believes we have to address the first problem, which is securing the border, and opposes a change in the U.S. Constitution," Whitman spokeswoman Sarah Pompei told POLITICO. Whitman is the GOP nominee for governor, while Fiorina is running for the Senate against Democratic Sen. Barbara Boxer.

The California Republican hopefuls have both ramped up recent efforts to appeal to the state’s huge number of Latino voters. Their opposition comes on the heels of a similar announcement from former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, who is trying to temper a push to strip birthright citizenship from the 14th Amendment.

The idea, first proposed by Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), would alter or remove the section from the 14th Amendment that reads: "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 idea has the support of Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), and both Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and House Minority Leader John Boehner say they support holding hearings on a repeal.

After a speech Thursday to the California Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Fiorina said calls to repeal the 14th Amendment are not "useful dialogue." She echoed Whitman on prioritizing border security and stopping short of stripping citizenship.

"I don’t support changing the 14th Amendment," she said. "I think what we need to do is have the federal government do its job and secure the border and have a temporary worker program that works. And all the rest of it is a distraction and, unfortunately, an emotional distraction."

Huckabee, meanwhile, has pointed out that the Supreme Court has ruled against challenges to birthright citizenship in the past and said he does not support a repeal.


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