Congress proposes barring naturalized citizens from serving in House and Senate
H.J.Res. 206 — Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States to require that any Representative or Senator be a natural born citizen. · Filed by Scott Perry (R-PA) · Introduced Jul 23, 2026 · Referred to committee
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What it does
This joint resolution proposes a constitutional amendment requiring that all future Representatives and Senators be natural-born U.S. citizens. Current members who are not natural-born citizens would be allowed to finish their current term but could not run for re-election. The amendment would need ratification by three-fourths of state legislatures within seven years to take effect.
Why we flagged it
This is a straightforward constitutional amendment proposal with no hidden mechanisms or riders. It plainly states its single purpose: to amend the Constitution to require natural-born citizenship for Representatives and Senators.
What the text implies
- Would retroactively disqualify sitting naturalized-citizen members of Congress from re-election, potentially forcing mid-career exits for legislators with decades of service.
- Raises questions about the definition of 'natural born citizen'—a term not uniformly defined in statute and subject to ongoing constitutional interpretation.
The full analysis lists 4 implications of this text.
Who it affects
The amendment would restrict democratic participation by excluding naturalized citizens—a group that includes millions of legal permanent residents and citizens who have completed the naturalization process—from federal legislative office. However, proponents may argue it preserves a constitutional citizenship standard.