A number of foreign-born Democrats have criticized South Carolina Republican Rep. Nancy Mace after she put forth a resolution aimed at amending the Constitution. This proposed amendment seeks to prevent foreign-born individuals, including naturalized citizens, from serving in Congress or as federal judges.
In a Wednesday post on X, Mace pointed out that Democratic Reps. Ilhan Omar, Shri Thanedar, and Pramila Jayapal were all born outside the U.S. and are not natural-born citizens. She stated, “All sit in the United States Congress, all make it clear every day that their loyalty is not to the United States.”
Following her remarks, several Democratic members of Congress quickly voiced their disapproval of Mace’s initiative. Three foreign-born Democrats, in particular, quickly issued statements labeling Mace’s actions as “xenophobic” and “immoral.”
Pramila Jayapal, a Congressman from Washington state who was born in Chennai, India, criticized Mace’s intentions as “xenophobic,” reflecting on her own naturalization ceremony as “one of the most meaningful days of my life.”
She further stated, “This bigoted and xenophobic bill has no place in Congress, and I urge all of my colleagues, including naturalized Republican ones, to condemn it.”
Raja Krishnamoorthi, an Illinois Democrat originally from New Delhi, took to social media to label Mace’s proposal as “immoral” and “un-American.” He emphasized the need for collective opposition against what he called an “unacceptable and un-American resolution.”
Meanwhile, Michigan Democrat Shri Thanedar, born in Chikkodi, India, made a jest of Mace’s resolution online. He remarked, “Please resolve your drinking problem before you come for those of us who have worked hard to come here and contribute.”
So far, Ilhan Omar, the Minnesota Democrat born in Somalia, has not publicly responded to the resolution.
In her post, Mace reiterated her call for Congress to amend the Constitution to bar foreign-born individuals from serving in Congress, as federal judges, or in any other Senate-confirmed federal roles.
She argued, “Those who write America’s laws, confirm America’s judges, and represent America on the world stage should have one loyalty: to America, not to any other country.” She accused the government of prioritizing foreign-born members for too long, asserting that this amendment would change that.
Interestingly, there are more foreign-born representatives in Washington than many might think. Currently, 26 members of the House were born outside the U.S., with 19 being Democrats and 7 Republicans. Additionally, among senators, there are 6 who were born outside the country, consisting of 4 Democrats and 2 Republicans.
However, Mace’s proposal faces significant hurdles. To proceed, the bill must secure a two-thirds majority in both congressional houses and subsequently be ratified by three-quarters of the states to be incorporated into the U.S. Constitution.
