Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States to require that any Representative or Senator be a natural born citizen.

Key Points

• This proposal would change the U.S. Constitution to require that every member of the House of Representatives and the Senate be a natural born citizen. Currently, people who become citizens later in life can serve in Congress after being a citizen for seven to nine years.
• The change would primarily affect immigrants who have become U.S. citizens. Under current laws, these individuals are eligible to run for federal office, but this amendment would permanently bar them from serving in the legislative branch.
• If this became law, current members of Congress who are not natural born citizens would be allowed to finish their current terms. However, they would be prohibited from running for re-election or serving in Congress ever again once those terms end.
• Amending the Constitution is a very difficult process that requires a two-thirds vote in both the House and the Senate. After that, three-fourths of all states would have to approve the change within seven years for it to take effect.

Impact Analysis

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