Editor's note: This is part two in a series exploring birthright citizenship and birth tourism on Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands.
H.R. 9724, also known as the End Birthright Citizenship for Territories Act, does not have the support of Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero or Delegate James Moylan, both of whom are rallying support in Congress to block the bill from advancing in the House.
The proposed measure, introduced by Rep. Morgan Griffith (R-VA-9), would amend the federal statutes that automatically recognize people born in U.S. territories — including Guam and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands — as U.S. citizens, ending that recognition for anyone born on or after Jan. 1, 2027.
"I am leading a bill to crack down on abuse of birthright citizenship in the territories. This bill should stop the so-called 'birth tourism' that is taking place in the American territories," Griffith said in his weekly e-newsletter on July 17.
He cited a March 19, 2026, New York Post report headlined "US territory turned tropical maternity ward has produced thousands of 'American' babies for parents living in China," which estimates 1,000 companies offer birth tourism services to the Northern Mariana Islands and other U.S. territories and the continental United States.
The report cited "China-watchers" who claim 1.5 million American babies are being raised in China by parents who participated in birth tourism. In 2025, the first baby born on American soil in the new year was reportedly born to a 30-year-old Chinese national from Shanghai.
Guam News Network reached out to the Department of Public Health and Social Services and Guam Memorial Hospital for data relevant to birth tourism on Guam; responses are pending. The Leon Guerrero-Tenorio administration and Moylan's office were also asked for the same data. Though neither provided figures, both stood firmly against H.R. 9724.
"It undermines our constitutional rights and we are sending a letter asking it to be withdrawn," the Leon Guerrero-Tenorio administration said.
Gov. Leon Guerrero spoke with Moylan following inquiries from Guam News Network. The governor's office said Moylan has been in contact with House leadership to block Griffith's proposed amendments to the Citizenship Clause.
"It has already been confirmed that they will help ensure that the bill does not go through. This includes Congressman Jim Jordan, whose committee has jurisdiction over the bill and who has confirmed his support to block it," the governor's office said. "According to Delegate Moylan, the Territorial Caucus will also be issuing a unified statement denouncing the bill."
Moylan's office said the delegate believes Griffith's proposed measure "takes the wrong approach by singling out America's territories and placing the longstanding statutory citizenship of future generations born in Guam and the other U.S. territories at the center of that debate."
The delegate's office noted that Congress has recognized statutory United States citizenship for the people of Guam.
"Congressman Moylan believes that recognition has been earned through generations of service, sacrifice, and unwavering commitment to our nation. The people of Guam have answered our nation's call without hesitation at some of the highest enlistment rates per capita, and stood with America through times of war, hardship, and national need. They have never asked for special treatment — only to be treated equally under the law," the delegate's office said.
Moylan's position aligns with that of Neil Weare, co-founder and co-director of Right to Democracy, who vehemently opposes the bill.
"The Congressman believes this legislation sets a dangerous precedent by suggesting that the citizenship of Americans born in the territories can be revisited whenever broader national policy debates arise. He believes that sends the wrong message to the people of Guam and the other U.S. territories, whose loyalty to the United States has never been in question," Moylan's office said, adding that he remains committed to protecting the longstanding statutory citizenship rights of the people of Guam.