Can dual citizens serve in the U.S. House or Senate without renouncing their other citizenship?

1. Constitutional baseline: what the law currently says

The Constitution sets only age, residency and U.S. citizenship duration requirements for Congress; it does not ban dual citizenship. GovTrack’s summary explains that a representative must have been a U.S. citizen for seven years and a senator for nine, and it explicitly states the United States permits a citizen to obtain dual citizenship ^[1]. Available sources do not mention a current constitutional or federal statutory prohibition on dual nationals serving in Congress beyond these citizenship-duration rules.

2. Existing practice: dual citizens have served

Congressional practice includes members who were dual nationals or were born abroad and later held dual status. GovTrack cites examples such as Sen. Ted Cruz, who held Canadian citizenship until he renounced it in 2014, and other members who have in the past held or been reported as having additional nationality ties ^[1]. No authoritative roster of current dual citizens in Congress exists in these sources; reporting notes members have had foreign ties but does not provide a comprehensive official list ^[5].

3. The disclosure push: Massie’s Dual Loyalty Disclosure Act

Representative Thomas Massie introduced the Dual Loyalty Disclosure Act (H.R. 2356; earlier related text H.R. 946) to require candidates to disclose citizenship in any country other than the United States as part of campaign filings ^{[2] [4]}. GovTrack’s description of the earlier H.R. 946 shows the bill language would amend Federal Election Campaign Act statements to include such citizenship disclosures ^[4]. Supporters frame this as transparency; critics quoted in reporting argue it targets loyal Americans and feeds into “purity” narratives ^[3].

4. The ban movement: proposals to disqualify dual nationals

Beyond disclosure, some Republican lawmakers have proposed or signaled support for bills that would bar dual citizens from serving in Congress. Newsweek and other outlets report GOP figures saying “dual citizens elected to the United States Congress should renounce citizenship in all other countries” and that legislation has been introduced or floated to prohibit such service ^[3]. International reporting also documents bills in later sessions proposing that no one who is a national of any country other than the U.S. may be elected to the House or Senate ^[6]. These are proposals; available sources do not indicate such a ban has become law ^{[3] [6]}.

5. Political context and competing narratives

Proponents frame restrictions as national-security or “loyalty” measures; Massie and allies emphasize transparency and alleged conflicts ^{[2] [3]}. Critics, including immigrant-rights advocates cited in commentary, argue the measures feed “insidious” narratives about who is a “pure American” and could be weaponized against immigrant communities or those with family abroad ^[3]. Reporting from both GovTrack and Newsweek documents these competing framings — transparency and security versus discrimination and political targeting ^{[4] [3]}.

6. Administrative and enforcement questions left open

Even if Congress enacted disclosure or disqualification rules, sources note practical questions: how enforcement would work, whether states’ ballot rules or the Constitution would limit Congress’s power, and how renunciation processes of foreign countries would intersect with eligibility timelines ^{[1] [4]}. Available sources do not provide legal determinations resolving those constitutional and administrative questions; they report bills and debate but not final judicial rulings or implementing guidance.

7. Broader regulatory environment and public messaging

Parallel executive and administrative changes tightening scrutiny of dual nationals for security clearances and tax reporting are described in commentary pieces and blogs; these emphasize that dual citizenship remains legally permitted but subject to increased review in areas like federal employment and tax compliance ^{[7] [8]}. Those sources stress that a “crackdown” narrative often refers to enforcement intensification rather than an outright ban on dual nationality ^[7].

Conclusion

Under current law, dual citizens can run for and serve in the House or Senate because the Constitution’s eligibility clauses and ordinary federal statutes do not require renunciation of other citizenships; however, several Republican bills seek to change that through disclosure mandates or outright bans, and that political fight frames transparency and security against concerns about discrimination and political targeting ^{[1] [2] [3]}. Available sources do not report a final law or court ruling that has changed the baseline legal rule described here ^{[1] [4]}.