FEINSTEIN RELUCTANT TO AMEND.Byline: Lisa Friedman Washington Bureau Sen. Dianne Feinstein Dianne Goldman Berman Feinstein (born June 22, 1933) is the senior U.S. Senator from California, having held office as a senator since 1992. She is a member of the Democratic Party. said Tuesday she is reluctant to embrace a constitutional amendment allowing Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger (German pronunciation (IPA): [ˈaɐ̯nɔlt ˈaloɪ̯s ˈʃvaɐ̯ʦənˌʔɛɡɐ] and other naturalized citizens to be president. The California Democrat, the daughter of Polish and Lithuanian immigrants, said she respects the constitutional restriction that a president must be a natural-born citizen A natural born citizen is a special term mentioned in the United States Constitution as a requirement for eligibility to serve as President or Vice President of the United States. of the United States United States, officially United States of America, republic (2005 est. pop. 295,734,000), 3,539,227 sq mi (9,166,598 sq km), North America. The United States is the world's third largest country in population and the fourth largest country in area. . ``It may not be a bad thing. I'm not sure it is damaging to go through that first generation'' before a family member can serve as president, Feinstein said at a Senate Judiciary Committee The U.S. Senate established the Committee on the Judiciary on December 10, 1816, as one of the original 11 standing committees. It is also one of the most powerful committees in Congress; among its wide range of jurisdictions is investigation of federal judicial nominees and oversight of hearing on the proposal by Sen. Orrin Hatch Orrin Grant Hatch (born March 22, 1934) is a Republican United States Senator from Utah, serving since 1977. Hatch is a member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Finance, where he serves on the subcommittees on Energy, Natural Resources, and Infrastructure and Taxation and IRS , R-Utah, and Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, R-Huntington Beach. The amendment would let a foreign-born person serve as president after being a U.S. citizen for at least 20 years. The idea met with broad approval Tuesday at the Senate panel's hearing as Democrats and Republicans alike said preventing naturalized citizens from the presidency seems fundamentally unfair. ``Naturalized citizens and legal immigrants should have the rights of all Americans. Many of them are more patriotic than even most of our fellow Americans who take their freedom and liberty for granted,'' Rohrabacher said. Feinstein said she has not decided whether to oppose the amendment. ``I think we should not move precipitously.'' Several lawmakers and scholars talked about their own sons and daughters who are among the 25,000 foreign-born youngsters adopted annually in the U.S. and who cannot share in the childhood fantasy of one day becoming president. ``To me, this is about children,'' said Rep. Vic Snyder, D-Ark., holding up a photo of his niece, Sarah, who was adopted from South Korea and raised in the U.S. ``One of the things you like to say about America is that anyone could grow up and become president,'' said Rep. Brad Sherman, D-Sherman Oaks, who co-sponsored a separate proposal allowing foreign-born citizens to become president. He said the issue hits home when he speaks to young immigrant children at San Fernando Valley San Fernando Valley Valley, southern California, U.S. Northwest of central Los Angeles, the valley is bounded by the San Gabriel, Santa Susana, and Santa Monica mountains and the Simi Hills. schools. Throughout the hearing, Schwarzenegger's name was mentioned only once. Lisa Friedman, (202) 662-8731 lisa.friedman(at)langnews.com |
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