Rep. Nancy Mace ignited a political firestorm after unveiling a constitutional amendment proposal that would bar naturalized citizens from serving in Congress and other top federal roles. The South Carolina Republican argued the same “natural-born citizen” standard applied to presidents should extend to lawmakers and judges. Foreign-born Democratic representatives, including Pramila Jayapal and Shri Thanedar, blasted the proposal as racist and anti-immigrant. Critics also pointed out the amendment could affect some Republican officeholders born outside the United States. Despite the outrage, the proposal faces steep constitutional hurdles and is unlikely to advance far in Congress.
Nancy Mace proposed a constitutional amendment requiring Congress members to be natural-born citizens, triggering backlash from foreign-born Democrat lawmakers who called the plan xenophobic and unconstitutional. #NancyMace #CongressionalMeltdown #NaturalBornCitizen pic.twitter.com/2s8HqWK9iu
— Matthew Brady (@mattbrady775) May 23, 2026
- Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC) introduced a proposed constitutional amendment requiring members of Congress, federal judges, ambassadors, and Senate-confirmed officials to be “natural-born” U.S. citizens.
- The proposal would expand a standard that currently only applies to the president and vice president.
- Mace specifically referenced Democratic Reps. Ilhan Omar, Pramila Jayapal, and Shri Thanedar — all naturalized citizens born outside the U.S. — while arguing federal officials should have “one loyalty: America.”
- Democratic lawmakers condemned the proposal as “xenophobic” and “racist,” with Jayapal defending immigrants’ role in shaping America.
- Thanedar mocked Mace on social media and accused her of political grandstanding.
- The amendment faces extremely long odds because constitutional amendments require two-thirds approval in Congress and ratification by three-fourths of states.
- Reports also noted the proposal could impact some Republican lawmakers born abroad, including members of Congress currently serving in the GOP.
