Which current U.S. senators have renounced foreign citizenship and why?
This fact-check may be outdated. Consider refreshing it to get the most current information.
Executive summary
As of the coverage in these sources, the only current U.S. senator widely reported to have renounced a foreign citizenship is Sen. Bernie Moreno (R‑Ohio), who renounced Colombian citizenship when he naturalized as a U.S. citizen at 18; Moreno now sponsors the “Exclusive Citizenship Act of 2025,” which would force all dual citizens to choose one nationality within a year or be treated as having relinquished U.S. citizenship [1] [2] [3]. Reporting makes clear Moreno frames his own renunciation as the reason he believes allegiance must be “sole and exclusive,” and his bill has been referred to the Judiciary Committee but faces legal and logistical hurdles [2] [3] [4].
1. One senator publicly linked to a renunciation: Moreno’s personal history and legislation
Multiple outlets report that Sen. Bernie Moreno, who was born in Colombia and immigrated to the U.S. as a child, renounced his Colombian citizenship when he naturalized at age 18 and now argues that U.S. citizenship should be exclusive; his office and press materials note that personal history as a motivating fact for the Exclusive Citizenship Act of 2025 [1] [2] [5]. The bill would require existing dual citizens to submit written renunciations — either renounce their foreign citizenship to the State Department or their U.S. citizenship to DHS — within one year of enactment or be deemed to have relinquished U.S. citizenship under the Immigration and Nationality Act [3] [6].
2. What Moreno’s bill would do — and why he says he did it
The proposal would make it unlawful to “simultaneously possess[] any foreign citizenship” and direct federal agencies to create verification procedures and a registry of dual nationals; Moreno frames the measure as protecting “sole and exclusive allegiance” to the United States and cites his own renunciation as illustrative of a patriotic choice [2] [5] [4]. Advocates of the bill argue dual citizenship can create conflicts of interest; Moreno’s public statements and press release present his personal renunciation as an example of the commitment he wants to require from all citizens [2] [1].
3. Pushback, legal obstacles and practical limits reported by others
News outlets and legal analysts cited in reporting warn the bill faces immediate constitutional and logistical challenges: Supreme Court precedent (e.g., Afroyim v. Rusk) and constitutional protections against involuntary loss of citizenship make forcible revocation legally fraught, and experts say building a nationwide system to identify and process dual citizens would be unprecedented and complex [7] [4]. Coverage also stresses the bill is at an early stage — referred to the Judiciary Committee — with no bipartisan backing and no hearings scheduled, so it has not changed existing law [4] [3].
4. How other outlets portray the motive and political context
Reporting frames Moreno’s effort as part of a broader political debate over immigration, loyalty and national identity. Critics portrayed by some outlets characterize the bill as ideologically driven and potentially targeting immigrant communities; others note practical harms for families and expats who rely on dual nationality for ties, work and services abroad [8] [9]. Polling cited by some coverage shows Americans are divided, with significant partisan differences over whether new citizens should be required to renounce prior nationalities [10].
5. What available sources do not say (limits of the record)
Available sources do not list any other current U.S. senators who have publicly renounced foreign citizenships, nor do they provide a comprehensive Senate‑wide inventory of renunciations; reporting focuses on Moreno’s personal history and his bill rather than cataloguing other senators’ citizenship histories (not found in current reporting). Sources also do not record any enacted change in law — dual citizenship remains legal until and unless Congress and the courts act [4] [9].
6. Takeaway for readers: agreements, disagreements and the likely path forward
There is agreement across sources that Moreno renounced Colombian citizenship and that he authored legislation to force renunciations broadly; there is disagreement among commentators about the bill’s constitutionality and desirability, and many experts and outlets predict significant legal challenges and practical obstacles if Congress tried to enact it [1] [7] [4]. For now, Moreno’s personal renunciation is cited as his rationale for the policy; the bill remains a proposal with political and legal hurdles, and existing law permitting dual citizenship has not changed [2] [3] [4].