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| {{Short description|Proposed United States constitutional amendment}} | |||
| {{Use mdy dates|date=June 2014}} | {{Use mdy dates|date=June 2014}} | ||
| ⚫ | |||
| ] in 2003 during his governorship]] | |||
| The '''Equal Opportunity to Govern Amendment''', also known as the '''Hatch Amendment''' or '''Arnold Amendment''', is a proposed United States ] that would remove the ] requirement that the ] and ] must be ]. It was proposed in July 2003 by ] ], and would allow ] citizens to run for either office when they have been citizens for 20 years. The name Arnold Amendment is a reference to ], a naturalized citizen and the ] from 2003 to 2011. | |||
| The text of the amendment reads as follows: | |||
| {{quotation| | {{quotation| | ||
| Section 1. A person who is a citizen of the United States, who has been for 20 years a citizen of the United States, and who is otherwise eligible to the Office of President, is not ineligible to that Office by reason of not being a native-born citizen of the United States. | '''Section 1.''' A person who is a citizen of the United States, who has been for 20 years a citizen of the United States, and who is otherwise eligible to the Office of President, is not ineligible to that Office by reason of not being a native-born citizen of the United States. | ||
| Section 2. This article shall not take effect unless it has been ratified as an amendment to the Constitution by the legislatures of three-fourths of the several States not later than 7 years from the date of its submission to the States by the Congress. | '''Section 2.''' This article shall not take effect unless it has been ratified as an amendment to the Constitution by the legislatures of three-fourths of the several States not later than 7 years from the date of its submission to the States by the Congress. | ||
| }} | }} | ||
| The amendment was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. Hearings were held on October 5, 2004, two months before the end of the second session of the ], but no further action was taken. | The amendment was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. Hearings were held on October 5, 2004, two months before the end of the second session of the ], but no further action was taken. | ||
| ⚫ | This proposal was widely seen as an attempt to make new California governor ] (born in ] and naturalized in 1983) eligible for the presidency and is sometimes nicknamed the "Arnold Amendment" or "Amend for Arnold".<ref name="cbsnews">{{cite news|last1=Cosgrove-Mather|first1=Bootie|title=The 'Arnold Amendment'|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/the-arnold-amendment/|access-date=23 October 2017|work=]|date=24 October 2003|archive-url=https://archive.today/20171023050026/https://www.cbsnews.com/news/the-arnold-amendment/|archive-date=October 23, 2017|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title = 'Amend for Arnold' campaign launched |url = http://www.sfgate.com/politics/article/Amend-for-Arnold-campaign-launched-Web-site-2635267.php|website = www.sfgate.com| date=November 18, 2004 |access-date = 2016-08-01}}</ref><ref name="foxnews">{{cite news|last1=Associated Press|title=Foreign-Born President Amendment Sought|url=https://www.foxnews.com/story/foreign-born-president-amendment-sought|access-date=23 October 2017|work=]|date=30 November 2004|archive-url=https://archive.today/20171023050229/http://www.foxnews.com/story/2004/11/30/foreign-born-president-amendment-sought.html|archive-date=October 23, 2017|url-status=live}}</ref> Other politicians not born as American citizens who would benefit from such an amendment include former ] and ] ] (born in ]), congresswoman ] (born in ]), and former ] and ] ] (born in ]). | ||
| In 2015, the "Equal Opportunity to Govern Campaign" was set up to reintroduce Senator Hatch's original Equal Opportunity to Govern amendment. A petition was set up and a website released on October 9, 2015,<ref>{{Cite web|title = Equal Opportunity to Govern Campaign|url = http://www.eotg.org|website = www.eotg.org|accessdate = 2015-10-11}}</ref> to generate interest and support of the amendment so that it could be discussed in the new ] from a totally ] perspective as opposed to previous efforts that had specific candidates in mind. As of 2019 the website eotg.org belongs to an new organization unrelated to the above mentioned cause. | |||
| A poll from 2003 and 2004 found that a majority of Americans were opposed to the amendment.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://news.gallup.com/poll/14254/americans-pumped-about-arnold-amendment.aspx | title=Americans Not Pumped About "Arnold Amendment" | date=December 7, 2004 }}</ref> | |||
| ==See also== | |||
| *] | |||
| *{{slink|List of fictional United States presidencies of historical figures (S–U)|Arnold Schwarzenegger}} | |||
| *{{slink|Natural-born-citizen clause (United States)|Eligibility challenges}} | |||
| *] | |||
| ==References== | ==References== | ||
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| {{wikisource}} | {{wikisource}} | ||
| * Jerry Spangler: , '']'' October 7, 2004 | * Jerry Spangler: , '']'' October 7, 2004 | ||
| * | * | ||
| {{Constitution of the United States}} | |||
| * ]: , October 8, 2004 | |||
| {{authority control}} | |||
| {{DEFAULTSORT:Equal Opportunity To Govern Amendment}} | {{DEFAULTSORT:Equal Opportunity To Govern Amendment}} | ||
| ] | |||
| ] | ] | ||
| ] | ] | ||
Latest revision as of 21:05, 21 January 2025
Proposed United States constitutional amendment
The Equal Opportunity to Govern Amendment, also known as the Hatch Amendment or Arnold Amendment, is a proposed United States constitutional amendment that would remove the Constitution's requirement that the president and vice president must be natural-born citizens. It was proposed in July 2003 by senator Orrin Hatch, and would allow naturalized citizens to run for either office when they have been citizens for 20 years. The name Arnold Amendment is a reference to Arnold Schwarzenegger, a naturalized citizen and the governor of California from 2003 to 2011.
The text of the amendment reads as follows:
Section 1. A person who is a citizen of the United States, who has been for 20 years a citizen of the United States, and who is otherwise eligible to the Office of President, is not ineligible to that Office by reason of not being a native-born citizen of the United States.
Section 2. This article shall not take effect unless it has been ratified as an amendment to the Constitution by the legislatures of three-fourths of the several States not later than 7 years from the date of its submission to the States by the Congress.
The amendment was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. Hearings were held on October 5, 2004, two months before the end of the second session of the 108th United States Congress, but no further action was taken.
This proposal was widely seen as an attempt to make new California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger (born in Austria and naturalized in 1983) eligible for the presidency and is sometimes nicknamed the "Arnold Amendment" or "Amend for Arnold". Other politicians not born as American citizens who would benefit from such an amendment include former Governor of Michigan and United States Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm (born in Canada), congresswoman Ilhan Omar (born in Somalia), and former Secretary of Labor and Transportation Elaine Chao (born in Taiwan).
A poll from 2003 and 2004 found that a majority of Americans were opposed to the amendment.
See also
- Barack Obama citizenship conspiracy theories
- List of fictional United States presidencies of historical figures (S–U) § Arnold Schwarzenegger
- Natural-born-citizen clause (United States) § Eligibility challenges
- United States nationality law
References
- Cosgrove-Mather, Bootie (October 24, 2003). "The 'Arnold Amendment'". CBS News. Archived from the original on October 23, 2017. Retrieved October 23, 2017.
- "'Amend for Arnold' campaign launched". www.sfgate.com. November 18, 2004. Retrieved August 1, 2016.
- Associated Press (November 30, 2004). "Foreign-Born President Amendment Sought". Fox News. Archived from the original on October 23, 2017. Retrieved October 23, 2017.
- "Americans Not Pumped About "Arnold Amendment"". December 7, 2004.
External links
- Jerry Spangler: Hatch is pushing Arnold bill, Deseret Morning News October 7, 2004
- Statement of Senator Orrin G. Hatch before the United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary Hearing on “Maximizing Voter Choice: Opening the Presidency to Naturalized Americans”