Rep. Nancy Mace Proposes Constitutional Amendment to Ban Foreign-Born in Congress

Representative Nancy Mace, a Republican from South Carolina, is advocating for a constitutional amendment to prohibit individuals born outside the United States from serving in Congress and the federal judiciary. During her appearance on the program “Saturday in America,” she defended this initiative and highlighted her concerns with certain lawmakers, including Representative Ilhan Omar from Minnesota.

Proposed Constitutional Amendment

Mace’s proposal aims to ensure that members of the House and Senate, as well as federal judges and other Senate-confirmed appointees, are natural-born U.S. citizens. She explained her stance, stating, “If the president has to be natural-born, so too should members of Congress, so too should our judges.”

Mace specifically addressed lawmakers such as Ilhan Omar, expressing concerns about foreign-born individuals potentially having allegiances to other countries. Mace indicated her support for retroactively removing naturalized citizens from Congress, emphasizing, “We don’t have to look any further than Ilhan Omar or that guy, I can’t say his last name, Shri. These are people who’ve pledged allegiance to foreign countries.” She later referenced Representative Shri Thanedar from Michigan.

Response from Other Lawmakers

Ilhan Omar dismissed the proposed amendment, replying to inquiries with, “Good luck to her.” Meanwhile, Representative Pramila Jayapal criticized the proposal, labeling it “xenophobic” and highlighting that it is “insulting to the hundreds of thousands of constituents who elected naturalized citizens into office.” Jayapal argued that the focus should be on issues affecting Americans, such as the ability to keep lights on, put food on their tables, and pay rent.

Mace expressed willingness for the legislation to apply to current lawmakers, suggesting that the proposed changes should impact not only future elections but also current representatives who are naturalized citizens.

Potential Impact and Legislative Requirements

If successful, this proposal could affect various sitting members of Congress across party lines. Mace identified individuals like Ilhan Omar, Shri Thanedar, and Pramila Jayapal, all of whom were born outside the U.S., asserting they demonstrated loyalties not aligned with “America first.” She further proclaimed, “For too long we have allowed foreign-born members to hold seats in this government while making clear they are America last.”

For the amendment to succeed, it would require a two-thirds majority vote in both chambers of Congress, followed by ratification from three-fourths of the U.S. states. Alternatively, a constitutional convention requested by two-thirds of state legislatures could propose the amendment, though this method has never been successfully executed.

No immediate response was received from Ilhan Omar’s office regarding Mace’s remarks.