Congress proposes barring naturalized citizens from serving in House and Senate

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.
• Could affect recruitment and diversity in Congress by narrowing the eligible candidate pool to exclude naturalized citizens, including military veterans and immigrants who have completed naturalization.
• Requires three-fourths state ratification, a high bar that makes passage unlikely but signals a legislative intent to restrict congressional eligibility beyond current constitutional requirements.

Section numbers refer to the bill text the analysis read — linked under Primary records below.

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. The net effect depends on whether one views the natural-born requirement as a legitimate constitutional safeguard or an unnecessary barrier to representation of a significant por

Named in the bill

U.S. House of Representatives, U.S. Senate, House Committee on the Judiciary, Mr. Perry (sponsor), 119th Congress

Where it stands

• Jul 23, 2026 — Introduced · Congress.gov: “Introduced in House”
• Jul 23, 2026 — Referred to House Committee on the Judiciary · Congress.gov: “Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary”

Dates and quoted wording are Congress.gov's action record; the timeline shows status changes, not every procedural step.