[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 150 (2004), Part 14]
[House]
[Page 18454]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




INTRODUCTION OF CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT ALLOWING NATURALIZED CITIZENS 
                         TO SERVE AS PRESIDENT

  (Mr. ROHRABACHER asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. ROHRABACHER. Mr. Speaker, this morning I have introduced a 
constitutional amendment that will provide the American people with a 
wider range of presidential candidates. My amendment will allow all 
those who have been citizens of the United States for more than 20 
years to serve as President. This constitutional amendment is fully 
consistent with my long-held support for a generous policy of legal 
immigration but at the same time vigorously opposing all illegal 
immigration.
  There are those here today who will interpret this constitutional 
proposal permitting a naturalized citizen to serve as President as a 
political ploy designed to permit a prominent California elected 
official who immigrated to the United States from Central Europe and 
who still speaks with a thick accent to be eligible to be elected 
President of the United States.
  This is no ploy. I honestly believe that Tom Lantos should be allowed 
to seek the highest office in the land just like any other elected 
official from California.
  I ask my colleagues to join me in supporting this constitutional 
amendment.

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