Congressman Begich cosponsors bill to increase transparency for candidates holding dual citizenship

If a candidate for president held dual citizenship in another country, wouldn’t voters want to know that?

The Dual Loyalty Disclosure Act is a new congressional bill aimed at requiring candidates for federal office to publicly disclose all countries in which they hold citizenship.

While no current sitting member of Congress is known to have dual citizenship, there have been instances in the past. Sen. Ted Cruz, for example, held dual citizenship with Canada before renouncing his Canadian legal status. So did former Congresswoman Michele Bachman, who inherited Swiss citizenship through marriage but soon turned it down.

House Resolution 2356 was introduced on March 26, with Congressman Nick Begich among the bill’s prominent cosponsors. Congressman Thomas Massie of Kentucky, the bill’s prime sponsor, says voters have a right to know whether candidates owe legal allegiance to any countries other than the United States.

HR 2356 would mandate that candidates for positions such as president, vice president, US senator, and US. representative submit disclosures listing all nations of which they are citizens. While federal law already prohibits dual citizens from holding certain federal security clearances, there is currently no requirement for candidates seeking public office to reveal foreign citizenships.

The legislation amends the Federal Election Campaign Act to require candidates for federal office to disclose both their possession of dual citizenship and also the foreign country in which their dual citizenship is held. The disclosure of dual citizenship status would appear publicly in the statement of candidacy filed when political candidates seek election to federal office. 

Although it has just been introduced and will need to pass both chambers of Congress and be signed by the president to become law, the Dual Loyalty Disclosure Act is part of the national debate over transparency, loyalty, and eligibility standards for federal officeholders.

“Dual citizens elected to the United States Congress should renounce citizenship in all other countries,” said Massie. “At a minimum, they should disclose their citizenship in other countries and abstain from votes specifically benefitting those countries. If we are going to continue to allow Members of Congress to acquire and retain citizenship in other countries, they should at least be required to disclose to voters all countries of which they consider themselves to be citizens.” 

The Congressional Research Service publishes reports about the demographics of Congress after each election cycle, but does not include dual citizenship as part of its report.

The bill has just one committee of referral — House Administration. Other cosponsors of the bill include Rep. Andy Biggs of Arizona, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, and Rep. Clay Higgins of Louisiana.