4 ms·

Is your distinction that it has to be USA territories - colonies like Guam, Puerto Rico? - but not necessarily USA proper, so military bases and consulates coun

Is your distinction that it has to be USA territories - colonies like Guam, Puerto Rico? - but not necessarily USA proper, so military bases and consulates count (?) but could be termed 'outside USA' or is something else going on here?

adwww 6y ago
Yes, but also includes a person born abroad to parents who are United States citizens.
meepmorp 6y ago
Iirc, when John McCain (born in Panama) was running against Obama, Congress passed legislation clarifying that people born on military bases abroad still counted as natural born citizens for electoral purposes.
- dragonwriter 6y ago
  McCain wasn't born abroad any more than if he had been born in D.C.; he was born on a US Naval Base in a US Territory. Also, a statute passed when he was running for President almost certainly could not have any effect on whether or not he was Constitutionally a natural born citizen.
  - meepmorp 6y ago
    I wasn't arguing that he was anything but a natural born citizen of the US, merely noting that legislation to clarify that case, in particular, was passed at the time.
    - dragonwriter 6y ago
      Legislation was not passed; a nonbinding Senate resolution was passed (legislation requires both Houses and either signature by the President or a veto override.) https://www.congress.gov/bill/110th-congress/senate-resolution/511 https://www.congress.gov/bill/110th-congress/senate-resoluti...
      - meepmorp 6y ago
        Well, then, my apologies for the error. Do you feel better now?
dragonwriter 6y ago
No, the distinction is that “natural-born citizen” is a phrase in the Constitution about which there is some debate about it's exact meaning, but the dominant understanding is “citizen by law at birth and not later naturalized” rather than “born in the United States”.
- pbhjpbhj 6y ago
  >dominant understanding is “citizen by law at birth and not later naturalized” rather than “born in the United States” // OK, that didn't clarify much for me, I'll have a look myself. I'm guessing now that there are other ways to be a citizen when born abroad, like 'born to USA citizens and repatriated within 5 years' or somesuch. https://www.findlaw.com/immigration/citizenship/u-s-citizenship-through-parents-or-by-birth.html https://www.findlaw.com/immigration/citizenship/u-s-citizens... seems useful from a source I generally trust but have not corroborated.

adwww 6y ago

Yes, but also includes a person born abroad to parents who are United States citizens.

meepmorp 6y ago

Iirc, when John McCain (born in Panama) was running against Obama, Congress passed legislation clarifying that people born on military bases abroad still counted as natural born citizens for electoral purposes.

dragonwriter 6y ago
McCain wasn't born abroad any more than if he had been born in D.C.; he was born on a US Naval Base in a US Territory. Also, a statute passed when he was running for President almost certainly could not have any effect on whether or not he was Constitutionally a natural born citizen.
- meepmorp 6y ago
  I wasn't arguing that he was anything but a natural born citizen of the US, merely noting that legislation to clarify that case, in particular, was passed at the time.
  - dragonwriter 6y ago
    Legislation was not passed; a nonbinding Senate resolution was passed (legislation requires both Houses and either signature by the President or a veto override.) https://www.congress.gov/bill/110th-congress/senate-resolution/511 https://www.congress.gov/bill/110th-congress/senate-resoluti...
    - meepmorp 6y ago
      Well, then, my apologies for the error. Do you feel better now?

dragonwriter 6y ago

No, the distinction is that “natural-born citizen” is a phrase in the Constitution about which there is some debate about it's exact meaning, but the dominant understanding is “citizen by law at birth and not later naturalized” rather than “born in the United States”.

pbhjpbhj 6y ago
>dominant understanding is “citizen by law at birth and not later naturalized” rather than “born in the United States” // OK, that didn't clarify much for me, I'll have a look myself. I'm guessing now that there are other ways to be a citizen when born abroad, like 'born to USA citizens and repatriated within 5 years' or somesuch. https://www.findlaw.com/immigration/citizenship/u-s-citizenship-through-parents-or-by-birth.html https://www.findlaw.com/immigration/citizenship/u-s-citizens... seems useful from a source I generally trust but have not corroborated.