Proposed Amendment to Restrict Naturalized Citizens from Holding Office

On Wednesday, South Carolina Republican Representative Nancy Mace proposed a joint resolution aimed at amending the Constitution. This amendment would prevent naturalized citizens from serving in Congress, the federal judiciary, or any positions confirmed by the Senate.

The resolution intends to expand the “natural-born citizen” requirement, which presently applies only to the presidency and vice presidency, to include all members of the House of Representatives, the Senate, federal judges, and key appointed officials like Cabinet members and ambassadors.

Should this amendment be approved and ratified, it would enforce a strict citizenship requirement stipulating that federal lawmakers and officials must have been U.S. citizens from birth.

In her announcement, Mace argued that this legislative action is crucial for ensuring unwavering loyalty from top federal leaders. According to her, those involved in creating laws, confirming judges, and representing the U.S. internationally should possess a singular allegiance to the country.

Mace maintains that this proposed amendment merely extends the rigorous standards mandated for the President to other significant roles in government. She pointed to examples of conflicting loyalties from certain foreign-born officials, singling out comments made by representatives like Ilhan Omar as a reason for the need for these safeguards.

Ilhan Omar. Shri Thanedar. Pramila Jayapal. All born in foreign countries, none were citizens by birth. All sitting in the United States Congress. All make clear every single day their loyalty is not to America.

We just introduced a long overdue joint resolution proposing a…

Mace further contended that the amendment addresses a critical security gap in the Constitution’s foundational text, stressing that anyone with federal authority should be a natural-born American.

However, the proposal has drawn swift criticism from naturalized lawmakers, who view it as a betrayal of American principles. Representative Raja Krishnamoorthi, a Democrat from Illinois and a naturalized citizen himself, condemned the resolution, asserting that true patriotism is defined by service and character, not birthplace.

The proposed amendment must overcome significant hurdles before it could alter the federal landscape. To successfully amend the Constitution, it needs a two-thirds supermajority vote in both the House and Senate, followed by ratification by three-fourths of state legislatures.

If it clears these requirements, the amendment would take effect six months after final ratification, effectively ending a long-standing tradition that has allowed naturalized citizens to hold various federal positions.