SouthernWorldwide.com – Representative Ilhan Omar, a Democrat from Minnesota, appeared unfazed when questioned about a new Republican proposal that aims to prevent foreign-born individuals from serving in Congress.
Representative Nancy Mace, a Republican from South Carolina, announced on Wednesday that she is introducing a constitutional amendment. This amendment would mandate that any member of Congress, federal judge, or Senate-confirmed officer must be a natural-born citizen. The proposal seeks to establish the same “natural-born citizen” requirement that is currently in place for the President and Vice President of the United States.
Omar was specifically named by Mace as one of three individuals when Mace posted on X (formerly Twitter) on Wednesday to unveil her new joint resolution, which she described as “long overdue.” Omar was born in Somalia and became a naturalized U.S. citizen in the year 2000.
“Ilhan Omar. Shri Thanedar. Pramila Jayapal,” Mace wrote on X. “All born in foreign countries, none were citizens by birth. All sitting in the United States Congress. All making clear every single day their loyalty is not to America.”
Currently, there are 26 individuals serving in Congress who were not born U.S. citizens. Of these, 19 are Democrats and seven are Republicans.
Amending the U.S. Constitution is a complex process. It requires the approval of two-thirds of both the House of Representatives and the Senate. Following this, three-fourths of the U.S. states must ratify the amendment.
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The proposed amendment has not yet garnered widespread support from House GOP leadership. Additionally, there are no significant numbers of Republican co-sponsors for the resolution at this time.
Omar was also asked about a separate proposal introduced in October by Representative Randy Fine, a Republican from Florida. Fine’s bill, titled the “Disqualifying Dual Loyalty Act,” would prohibit anyone with dual citizenship in another country from serving in Congress. The legislation would require individuals to renounce their foreign citizenship if they wish to serve or be considered for a congressional seat.
When asked about Fine’s proposed legislation, Omar responded, “Who’s that?”
In a statement, Fine explained his reasoning: “I think it’s a fair argument to say you can only swear allegiance to one country, and if you’re in Congress, that allegiance should be to America. This bill ensures that the people making laws for our citizens are themselves fully committed to our country, not divided between two.”
Fine’s legislation has not seen substantial progress in Congress since it was referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary last year.
