Speech #890246503

I introduce. for appropriate reference. a bill to grant U.S. citizenship at birth to any child born abroad whose father or mother is a citizen of the United States who has served abroad with a church or missionary organization. I am offering this bill at the request of the Evangelical Foreign Missions Association. an agency here in Washington which represents some 7.000 missionaries. many of whose families have mixed citizenship. Under section 301(a) (7) of the Immigration and Nationality Act8 U.S.C. 1401(a) (7))-a child born abroad to a U.S. citizen father and an alien mother. or vice versa. does not acquire U.S. citizenship at birth unless the citizen parent. prior to the childs birth. was physically present in the United States or its outlying possessions for a period or periods totaling not less than 10 years. at least 5 of which were after attaining the age of 14 years. At present. only members of the Armed Forces may count the periods of honorable service abroad in order to meet the aforementioned physicalpresence requirements of section 301(a) (7). My bill would place missionary parents serving abroad in the same category with military personnel.