Mace introduces amendment requiring natural-born citizenship for Congress and federal judges

A new proposed resolution could put certain government positions out of reach for those who are naturalized U.S. citizens.

A constitutional amendment introduced by Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC)  would limit serving in Congress or as federal judges to only those who are natural-born U.S. citizens. Mace, who is running for governor in South Carolina, said it is a “long overdue joint resolution” in a  social media post on Wednesday, specifically naming foreign-born members of Congress who demonstrate their “loyalty is not to America.”

“Ilhan Omar. Shri Thanedar. Pramila Jayapal. All born in foreign countries, none were citizens by birth. All sitting in the United States Congress. All making clear every single day their loyalty is not to America,” Mace wrote, singling out Reps. Ilhan Omar (D-MN), Shri Thanedar (D-MI), and Pramila Jayapal (D-WA).

“We just introduced a long overdue joint resolution proposing a constitutional amendment to require Members of Congress, federal judges, and Senate-confirmed officers to be natural born citizens. This is the very same standard the President and Vice President are already required to meet,” the South Carolina Republican said in the post.

“The people writing America’s laws, confirming America’s judges, and representing America on the world stage should have one loyalty: America. Not any other country,” Mace continued.

“For too long we have allowed foreign born members to hold seats in this government while making clear they are America last, not America first. We see it every day,” she concluded. “This constitutional amendment will put an end to it.”

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Rep. Jayapal, who was born in India, quickly fired back in a statement calling the proposed bill a “racist legislation that denies the very history of a country that has been proudly shaped by immigrants.”

“This narrow-minded, xenophobic legislation has no place in Congress,” the Washington Democrat said, “and I call on all my colleagues — including my Republican colleagues who are naturalized citizens — to condemn this.”

Rep. Thanedar, also born in India, accused Mace of “racist and xenophobic attacks” against himself and colleagues.

“Her comments are reprehensible, but it’s clear this is what we can expect from MAGA: the party of protecting pedophiles, starting wars, and raising costs,” he said in a statement to The Hill.

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More than a dozen naturalized citizens, both Democrat and Republican, are currently serving in Congress and could be affected by the proposal.

Frieda Powers

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