Speech #710212787

That status was one of an Americanborn citizen. If the contention of the majority is correct. then Mrs. Owen is only a naturalized citizen. and as such would never be eligible. under the Constitution. to the office of President of the United States. It seems to me that the majority overlook the point altogether that section 4 of the Cable Act applied not only to a native born. but also to the naturalized woman citizen of the United States. We contend it was the intent of Congress when it wrote into the latter part of section 4 of the Cable Act. "after her naturalization she shall have the same citizenship status as if her marriage had taken place after the passage of this act." that the nativeborn American woman who had lost her citizenship by marriage to an alien and regained the same by naturalization under the Cable Act retained the status of a nativeborn American woman. while the naturalized American woman citizen. upon regaining her citizenship. became a naturalized citizen only. Clearly. in the case of the nativeborn woman. the provisions of the Cable Act enabled her to repatriate herself. while in the case of the naturalized American woman it enabled her to become a naturalized American citizen for the second time. We submit that the Congress in passing the Cable Act intended to provide the means by which both nativeborn and naturalized American women after having contracted marriage with a foreigner could regain their original status. To contend the contrary would deprive all American women placed in the position in which Mrs. Owen found herself. of a right which was guaranteed her as a naturalborn citizen of America. namely. the right to become President of her country. We submit that it is unfair to such American women to place any narrow construction upon the operation of the Cable Act. It should be liberally construed in harmony with the trend of recent legislation. including the nineteenth amendment to the Constitution and numerous statutory enactments. all of which are intended to place Americanhorn women on the broad basis of enjoying all the essential rights of Ainrican citizenship. But the majority contend that if the naturalization provisions of the Cable Act when employed accomplish such a restoration of citizenship as the minority claim. the act itself is unconstitutional. It is clearly unconstitutional. they say. because the Congress can not legislate in contravention of existing fact. We submit that the majority errs in this contention.