Have any current or former U.S. senators or representatives held dual citizenship?
Executive summary
Current reporting and public records show that several past and recent members of Congress have held or been reported to have held dual citizenship — for example, Senator Ted Cruz (U.S.-Canada) and Representative Victoria Spartz (born in Ukraine) have been publicly connected to foreign citizenship or foreign birth; the Senate’s own directory confirms multiple senators were born abroad and need nine years’ citizenship to qualify [1] [2] [3]. News coverage in 2024–2025 also documents bills aimed at restricting or requiring disclosure of foreign citizenship among members of Congress, showing the issue is politically salient [4] [5] [6].
1. Dual citizenship among members of Congress: documented examples and limits of the record
Multiple reporting and reference sources identify individual members who have held dual citizenship or foreign birth. Newsweek and other outlets cite Ted Cruz’s former Canadian citizenship and note members such as Tammy Duckworth and Victoria Spartz have foreign ties or foreign-born status; the Senate’s directory separately lists senators born outside the United States [1] [4] [2] [3]. Fact‑checking outlets note that members are required to be U.S. citizens (seven years for the House, nine for the Senate) but are not uniformly required to disclose additional citizenships, creating incomplete public records on how many current members hold dual nationality [7] [2].
2. What the Constitution and practice require — and what they do not
The Constitution sets only minimal eligibility: House members must have seven years’ U.S. citizenship and be 25; senators must have nine years’ citizenship and be 30; the presidency alone requires “natural‑born” status [7] [2]. Those constitutional rules do not bar dual citizenship per se. Contemporary legal and administrative practice allows Americans to hold foreign citizenship alongside U.S. citizenship, and courts and agencies generally treat dual nationality as permissible absent specific statutory prohibition — a point underpinning debates about whether Congress can or should bar dual‑citizen officeholders [8] [7].
3. Recent political push: disclosure and disqualification bills
Congressional proposals in 2023–2025 illustrate political momentum to regulate dual citizenship among candidates. The “Dual Loyalty Disclosure Act” and variants would require candidates to disclose non‑U.S. citizenship; more sweeping measures such as the Disqualifying Dual Loyalty Act of 2025 (H.R.5817) seek to bar election of anyone who holds foreign citizenship [9] [5]. Representative Thomas Massie publicly introduced an H.R.2356 requiring disclosure, and other Republican lawmakers have pushed stronger bans, framing the moves as national‑security or “America First” measures [6] [4].
4. Competing viewpoints and underlying agendas
Advocates for disclosure or bans argue dual citizenship raises conflicts of loyalty and transparency concerns, as reflected in sponsors’ statements and media coverage [4] [6]. Critics — including academics cited in reporting — say such laws risk undermining longstanding citizenship law, stigmatizing immigrants, and may be politically motivated to delegitimize particular politicians; Newsweek quotes a law professor who called disclosure laws part of an “ultranationalistic” agenda [4]. Fact‑checking outlets have also flagged misinformation around alleged automatic disqualifications, noting that sweeping claims (for example, immediate removal of officeholders) would generally require constitutional changes not mere statute [10].
5. Why the exact count of dual‑citizen members is unclear
Public sources and official biographies document foreign birth more reliably than current foreign citizenship status. Members are required to be U.S. citizens but typically are not obliged by existing law to publicly disclose additional passports; thus journalism and fact‑checks compile examples but cannot produce a definitive roster without voluntary disclosures or legislation that mandates reporting [7] [9]. Law forums and State Department practice add complexity on whether certain acts (like taking foreign oaths) can be treated as relinquishment, meaning citizenship status can be fluid and context‑dependent [8].
6. What to watch next
Legislative activity in the 119th Congress includes bills that would either force disclosure or bar foreign citizenship among candidates (H.R.5817, H.R.22 and other measures are part of the record), so public transparency may increase if any such measures advance [5] [11]. Expect continued partisan framing: proponents will emphasize loyalty and security, opponents will warn about overreach and constitutional questions — both positions are visible in current reporting [4] [9].
Limitations: available sources list individual examples, bill texts, and commentary but do not provide a single authoritative, up‑to‑date list enumerating every current or former member who holds dual citizenship; available sources do not mention a comprehensive tally [1] [3] [7].