House Republican proposes constitutional amendment to bar naturalized citizens from Congress and federal posts

Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., plans to introduce a joint resolution Wednesday proposing a constitutional amendment that would require members of Congress, federal judges and other Senate-confirmed appointees to be natural-born citizens.

The measure would affect more than a dozen naturalized citizens now serving in Congress, including several Republicans. Mace, who is running for governor of South Carolina, said the country’s nearly 25 million naturalized citizens may have divided loyalties.

"If you hold power in the American government, you should be a natural-born American citizen," Mace told Fox News Digital. "For too long we have allowed foreign-born members to hold seats in this government, while making clear their loyalty is not here. We see it every day."

Mace singled out Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., who was born in Somalia and became a naturalized citizen in 2000. "Ilhan Omar is just one of many foreign-born members of this government who have made clear, time and again, their loyalty is not here," Mace said. "The American people deserve leaders who put America first. This amendment closes a gap in our Constitution long overdue for closing."

Vice President JD Vance said Tuesday that Omar is under investigation by the Department of Justice for possible immigration fraud. Some Republicans have called for her deportation.

Mace’s proposal would require a two-thirds vote in both chambers of Congress and ratification by three-fourths of the states. There are 19 foreign-born members of Congress, though some are natural-born citizens because at least one parent is a U.S. citizen.

Under the proposal, Sen. Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio, who was born in Colombia, and Reps. Juan Ciscomani, R-Ariz., Young Kim, R-Calif., and Victoria Spartz, R-Ind., who immigrated from Mexico, South Korea and Ukraine, would be barred from serving. On the Democratic side, Reps. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., Ted Lieu and Robert Garcia, D-Calif., and Raja Krishnamoorthi, D-Ill., would also be affected.