Mace amendment would bar Ilhan Omar, other naturalized legislators from serving

FIRST ON FOX: Under the US Constitution, anybody who just isn’t a “natural-born citizen” is barred from changing into president or vice chairman.

Now, a House Republican desires to develop that requirement to a lot of the federal authorities.

Rep. Nancy Mace, RS.C., plans to introduce a joint decision Wednesday proposing a constitutional amendment requiring members of Congress, federal judges and other Senate-confirmed appointees to be natural-born residents.

The proposal would have an effect on greater than a dozen naturalized residents at the moment serving in Congress, together with a number of Republicans.

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Mace, who’s operating to be South Carolina’s subsequent governor, prompt that the nation’s almost 25 million naturalized residents, who made the deliberate option to grow to be Americans, could have divided loyalties.

“If you hold power in the American government, you should be a natural-born American citizen,” Mace informed Fox News Digital in an announcement. “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 particularly referred to as out progressive Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., who was born in Somalia and have become 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 stated. “The American people deserve leaders who put America first. This amendment closes a gap in our Constitution long overdue for closing.”

Omar’s path to US citizenship has additionally confronted heightened scrutiny from Republicans in latest months.

Vice President J.D. Vance stated Tuesday that Omar is underneath investigation by the Department of Justice for potential immigration fraud. Some Republicans have referred to as for her deportation over the alleged offense.

A spokesperson for Omar didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark.

Rep. Nancy Mace, RS.C., left, is proposing a constitutional amendment that would bar naturalized residents, together with Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., proper, from serving in Congress. (Nathan Posner/Anadolu by way of Getty Images; Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

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Mace’s proposal faces steep odds of changing into a part of the Constitution, requiring a two-thirds vote in each chambers of Congress earlier than ratification by three-fourths of US states. Amendments may also be proposed by way of a constitutional conference requested by two-thirds of state legislatures, though that technique has by no means been used efficiently.

There are 19 foreign-born members of Congress, though some are natural-born residents resulting from having no less than one mum or dad who’s a US citizen.

Under Mace’s proposal, Sen. Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio, an ally of President Donald Trump who was born in Colombia and have become a US citizen at 18, might not serve in Congress.

The identical restriction would apply to Reps. Juan Ciscomani, R-Ariz., Young Kim, R-Calif., and Victoria Spartz, R-Ind., who grew to become naturalized residents after immigrating to the United States from Mexico, South Korea and Ukraine, respectively.

Sen. Bernie Moreno speaks as President Donald Trump hosts Republican lawmakers and self-executives within the Oval Office to announce adjustments to gas economic system requirements on Dec. 3, 2025, in Washington, DC (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

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On the Democratic aspect, Reps. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., Ted Lieu and Robert Garcia, D-Calif., and Raja Krishnamoorthi, D-Ill., are among the many legislators who would be affected.

Former Trump Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao, the spouse of Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., and Alejandro Mayorkas, former President Joe Biden’s Department of Homeland Security secretary, would even have been ineligible to serve in Cabinet posts underneath the proposal.