Act for America is pressuring Congress to pass legislation to ban people with foreign citizenship from serving in the House and Senate.
The Virginia-based national security advocacy group said the lack of a prohibition on Congress members with dual citizenship was a “dangerous loophole.”
“This bill should never have been necessary,” Act for America said. “From the founding of this republic, the expectation was crystal clear: those entrusted with making laws for the United States must owe their complete and undivided loyalty to America.”
The Constitution sets qualifications for service in Congress, which are a minimum age (25 years old for the House and 30 years old for the Senate), a period of U.S. citizenship (7 years for the House and 9 years for the Senate) and residency in the state represented. However, it does not restrict foreign citizenship.
“In an earlier era, when assimilation was expected, such a prohibition seemed unnecessary. Yet today, in a globalized world where anti-American sentiments and foreign influences have crept into the highest levels of government, that silence has become a dangerous loophole,” Act for America said.
The organization is supporting a bill titled the Disqualifying Dual Loyalty Act (H.R. 5817), authored by Rep. Randy Fine, Florida Republican.
The legislation bars any individual who has citizenship in a foreign country from serving in Congress. Candidates for the House or Senate would be required to formally renounce all foreign citizenship before being elected.
Act for America said that Congress members “must swear allegiance to the United States and the United States alone.”
Disbarment of John Eastman condemned
The Claremont Institute is rallying opposition to the California State Bar’s decision to disbar California attorney John Eastman over aiding President Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election.
The institute called upon the legal community, elected officials and concerned citizens alike to speak out against the “misuse of disciplinary power.”
“We urge the Supreme Court of the United States to take note of this escalating assault on free expression and the independence of the bar,” Claremont Institute said in a statement.
Mr. Eastman is the founding director of the Claremont Institute’s Center for Constitutional Jurisprudence.
The California-based think tank said the advocacy concerning the 2020 presidential election contained “conspicuous constitutional irregularities” and that Mr. Eastman conducted himself “within the bounds of well-established legal practice and the Constitution itself.”
“John has been subjected to profoundly un-American lawfare, and his disbarment is an egregious and illegitimate abuse that should alarm anyone who believes in due process, fairness, and the rule of law,” said Claremont Institute President Ryan Williams.
Mr. Eastman said the California State Bar’s decision to disbar him goes beyond his own bar license.
“What we’re facing is a calculated leftist capture of America’s core institutions … which are now being systematically weaponized to silence and destroy any voice daring to oppose the entrenched administrative state,” he said.
Probe sought into disclosure of gun owner info
Gun Owners of America formally requested that the Department of Justice Inspector General launch an investigation into the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the DOJ’s Civil Division.
The Second Amendment group said their request followed a series of “alarming breaches” in which the government put a member of the group’s tax data in a public court filing.
The disclosures, including details of a private gun collection, occurred during ongoing litigation in Silencer Shop Foundation v. BATFE.
“The sensitivity of this information cannot be understated, nor can the severity of DOJ and ATF’s breach of personal privacy and possible violations of federal law,” Gun Owners of America Senior Vice President Erich Pratt said in a letter to Acting Inspector General William M. Blier.
“The millions of gun owners represented by Gun Owners of America expect a prompt, transparent and
complete investigation of this matter,” he wrote. “The government has no right to dox gun owners or broadcast their private tax returns to the world. GOA will not stay silent while federal agencies flout the law to target our members.”
Manufacturers spend big on job training
A new survey shows manufacturers are spending $31.9 billion annually on training programs for employees, up from $26.2 billion in 2019.
New U.S. employees are estimated to receive 47.6 hours of in-house and external training on average, while existing employees receive an estimated 26.7 hours of training, according to the “State of Workforce Training in Manufacturing” survey.
About 77.5% of survey respondents said they offer employer-led training—a strength of the manufacturing industry.
The survey was commissioned by the Manufacturing Institute, the workforce development and education affiliate of the National Association of Manufacturers.
A top concern of respondents was the challenge of attracting and retaining employees among manufacturers, 64% of the time.
“This updated survey demonstrates just how committed manufacturers are to building a skilled workforce,” said Manufacturing Institute President Carolyn Lee. “You can see it in the data and see it in the creative approaches they have stood up to empower workers with the skills they need to thrive in manufacturing.”
• The Advocates column is a weekly look at the political action players who drive the debate and shape policy outcomes in Washington. Send tips to theadvocates@washingtontimes.com. Click here to receive The Advocates in your inbox each week.
