Texas Republican Representative Wesley Hunt is seeking to raise the standards for lawmakers, as reported by Blaze News. On Monday, he introduced a new constitutional amendment that would mandate members of Congress to clear a basic citizenship test prior to taking their oaths of office. According to the text of the bill, Hunt, who is also a Senate candidate, emphasized that this Congressional Civics Act would require elected officials to pass the same civics exam used for naturalization in the U.S.
“When history is forgotten, it is doomed to repeat itself,” he stated, stressing the importance of this initiative. He also mentioned, “As leaders, we take an oath to defend the Constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic. I take this oath seriously. We must ensure that those charged with leading America at the highest levels fully understand that oath.”
Interestingly, national surveys reveal that while naturalized citizens have a nearly perfect pass rate, only about one-third of Americans can successfully pass the same exam. Applicants simply need to get 12 out of 20 multiple-choice questions right, which equates to a 60% accuracy rate.
Hunt remarked, “This bill would require American representatives to demonstrate knowledge of the Constitution and American history,” adding that such understanding is crucial for safeguarding American values. He reiterated, “When history is forgotten, it is doomed to repeat itself.”
If this amendment gets the green light, the proposed test would feature 25 questions randomly selected from a pool of 100, covering areas like constitutional reading, writing, and American history. Congress would set the passing criteria every decade, coinciding with the census.
Beginning with the 120th Congress, until the amendment receives ratification, prospective candidates would need to pass a civics exam before being appointed to any commissions. The legislation also ensures that the exam results for members who pass would be made public.
