The MACA Act Would Add Census Question on Dual Citizenship – H.R. 6486

The MACA Act Would Add Census Question on Dual Citizenship – H.R. 6486

Rep. Abe Hamadeh (R-AZ-08) introduced the Make Allegiances Clear Again Act (MACA Act) (H.R. 6486), legislation that would add a question to the decennial census on people holding both U.S. citizenship and a foreign citizenship.

The Act would insert a new subsection in Title 13 requiring the Secretary of Commerce, starting with the 2030 Census, to “include in any questionnaire distributed or otherwise used for the purpose of determining the total population by States a checkbox or other similar option for the respondent to indicate, for the respondent and for each of the members of the household of the respondent, whether such individual is a citizen of both the United States and another country and of which other country such individual is a citizen.”

The bill was referred to the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee. It has no cosponsors.

According to Rep. Hamadeh, “It is an honor to be an American citizen and should be treated as such. No other country compares, and no other country should be competing for a U.S. citizen’s loyalty. The American people deserve clarity on divided allegiances—especially at a time when global threats are growing.”

Although this legislation does not make such a change, the Congressman clarified that he supports “proposals to require Americans with dual citizenship to renounce their foreign allegiances.”