Speech #670273685

Mr. Chairman. the amendment which I have pending at the Clerks desk simply seeks to insure that the present right of expatriation shall be retained. Let us assume that England allows the separate naturalization of a married woman. Suppose an American woman goes abroad. marries .a Frenchman. and proceeds to go through the process of securing British naturalization. independent. of course. of her French husband. in the courts of England. She would renounce allegiance to the United States and would assert allegiance to the other sovereign. By that very fact. as our law now stands. she would put an end to her American citizenship. I think that is the intent of the section as presented by the committee. But the language of the pending bill is such as to make it at least a close question whether an American woman who. while abroad. renounces American citizenship would certainly thereby put an end to her American citizenship. In this connection I want to call your attention to the beginning of section 3: That the woman citizen of the United States shall not cease to be a citizen of the United States by reason of her marriage unless she makes renunciation before a United States naturalization court. Now. if she undertakes to acquire citizenship by naturalization in some other country. she would -not be renouncing anything in the United States and therefore would not be terminating her American citizenship. Then. in the -sentence beginning in line 15. it is provided that if at the termination of the marital status she is a citizen of the United States she shall retain her citizenship regardless of her residence. That language is unconditional.