Nancy Mace Pushes Amendment to Ban Foreign-Born Individuals from Congress

Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., has introduced a constitutional amendment aimed at preventing foreign-born individuals from serving in Congress and the federal judiciary. During an appearance on ‘Saturday in America,’ Mace defended her proposal, emphasizing the need for natural-born citizens to hold these positions. She compared the requirement for the presidency and suggested similar standards for Congress and judges.

The joint resolution put forth by Mace would require members of the House, Senate, federal judiciary, and other Senate-confirmed appointees to be natural-born citizens. Her proposal targets those she believes may have allegiances to other countries.

Mace specifically called out Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., and others like Rep. Shri Thanedar, D-Mich., accusing them of having loyalties to foreign nations. She stated her willingness to apply the amendment retroactively, possibly affecting current lawmakers not born as U.S. citizens.

Her amendment could impact several members from both political parties. In a post, Mace highlighted Ilhan Omar, Shri Thanadar, and Pramila Jayapal as individuals who were born abroad and are not citizens by birth. She expressed concerns about their loyalty to the United States.

Rep. Ilhan Omar remained unfazed by Mace’s proposal, responding with a brief comment wishing Mace luck. In contrast, Pramila Jayapal criticized the amendment, labeling it as ‘xenophobic’ and ‘narrow-minded.’ Jayapal pointed out that the U.S. has a history shaped by immigrants and highlighted the important contributions of naturalized citizens.

The proposal requires substantial legislative support: two-thirds of both chambers of Congress and ratification by three-fourths of U.S. states. Although constitutional amendments can also arise from a constitutional convention initiated by two-thirds of state legislatures, that method has never been successfully utilized.