Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) has introduced a constitutional amendment that would prohibit naturalized U.S. citizens from serving in Congress, becoming federal judges, or holding Senate-confirmed positions.
The proposal mirrors the existing requirement for presidents and vice presidents, which already mandates natural-born citizenship. In a statement shared on X, Mace called it a "long-overdue joint resolution" to address what she described as potential divided loyalties among foreign-born officials.
"The people writing America's laws, confirming America's judges, and representing America on the world stage should have one loyalty: America," Mace wrote. "Not any other country."
According to current records, 26 members of Congress are naturalized citizens, including 19 Democrats and seven Republicans.
What the Left Is Saying
Democratic critics quickly condemned the proposal as discriminatory. Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), who was born in India and became a U.S. citizen through naturalization, called it "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," Jayapal wrote in a statement. She recalled her naturalization ceremony as one of the most meaningful days of her life and urged colleagues to condemn the measure.
The Washington Democrat noted that she stands with hundreds of people from across the world who waited years or decades to become American citizens, saying the day she took the oath "was a profound moment" where she felt pride in her U.S. citizenship.
What the Right Is Saying
Mace singled out three Democratic colleagues born abroad as examples: Reps. Ilhan Omar (Minn.), Shri Thanedar (Mich.) and Pramila Jayapal (Wash.). She argued that extending the natural-born citizen requirement would ensure unified allegiance among federal officials.
"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," Mace wrote. "This constitutional amendment will put an end to it."
The South Carolina Republican, who is running for governor of her state, argued the change would align all three branches with the same standard already applied to the executive branch.
What the Numbers Show
Current law requires presidents and vice presidents to be natural-born citizens under Article II of the Constitution. The 26 naturalized members in Congress represent roughly 5% of the total membership.
The proposal would require a two-thirds majority in both chambers for approval, followed by ratification by three-quarters of state legislatures — a high bar that constitutional amendments rarely achieve.
The Bottom Line
Mace's amendment faces significant procedural hurdles before becoming law. Constitutional amendments require broad bipartisan support that has historically been difficult to achieve on controversial topics. The offices of Reps. Omar and Thanedar had not responded to requests for comment at the time of publication.