After a dynamic day at the Supreme Court with landmark decisions being handed down, conservatives find themselves in a state of frustration tinged with glimmers of hope. A closely watched case about birthright citizenship ended up as a narrow 5-4 decision that certainly ruffled feathers in conservative circles. It’s the kind of ruling that makes you want to pull out your hair—or at least pull out a snarky tweet, thanks a lot, SCOTUS.
Vice President Vance, amid talks about his new book, provided a candid view of the administration’s response to this legal letdown. The Vice President lamented the decision but, ever the optimist, pointed out the fact that the decision was far closer than legal experts had predicted. In their book, a 5-4 split is as good as a bright yellow ‘do not cross’ tape banner for birthright citizenship’s days being numbered. It’s like taking a consolation prize at a spelling bee; not exactly what you wanted, but better than a lousy participation ribbon.
For those scratching their heads at how this affects the country, look no further than the current policies that allow a family to hop off a plane, have a baby on American soil, and suddenly there’s a birthright citizen in the family tree. According to conservatives, it’s the travel-and-tourism package nobody asked for but some folks seem to really enjoy. The VP, with a wink and a nod, hinted at potential policy tweaks that could close this loophole quicker than a store shuttered on Black Friday—unless, of course, one of the wandering left-over justices decides to retire and gives them another chance to tinker with the roster.
Talk shifted seamlessly to exciting territories like the Northern Mariana Islands, presumably where birthright citizenship has found its hotspot. It was all a bit complicated, like a math problem in pre-algebra, suggesting possible executive orders to rein in the alleged misuse of territories by those fun-loving babies born on U.S. soil. Lawmakers are apparently looking at all avenues to ensure that the law quits acting like a door that swings both ways and, instead, stands firm as a turnstile with a good one-way lock.
While the legislative branch occasionally shows the speed of a turtle on a lazy weekend, the “Save America Act” decided to stroll into the spotlight. This act is supposedly the cure-all potion for a myriad of problems, including voting and citizenship issues, but some reluctant Republican senators, still hung over on the filibuster and institutional norms, seem to be acting like they’re trying to solve a Rubik’s cube in the dark. VP Vance underscored the need to stop Democrats before they can start tightening the screws on those traditions too, arguing it’s like handing your opponent a slingshot when you’ve brought a knife to a gunfight.
In the end, it’s a siege on multiple fronts. Conservatism is trying to pull a few rabbits from its hat on immigration and citizenship, while simultaneously holding onto traditional senate norms. But with a party of “internally conflicted” Democrats supposedly slipping further into a socialist abyss, the need to rally is only going to intensify. One battered but steadfast Republican Party will persevere, they assert, those moderate Democrats might someday see the grin-wielding radicals and wonder if they too used to root for the ‘reasonable’ folks just yonder across the aisle.
