Jim Ryun: “the Oath of Allegiance has served as the gateway to American citizenship for over 200 years. When immigrants speak its…”

“the Oath of Allegiance has served as the gateway to American citizenship for over 200 years. When immigrants speak its forceful words, they pledge their unfettered allegiance to America, our Constitution, and our laws. This important symbol of American citizenship is not specified by law. However, it can be changed on the whim of a government agency. In fact, such a change was recently attempted and would have transformed an absolute commitment to our Constitution into a conditional statement, thereby weakening our citizenship. That is why I introduced H.R. 3191, which would establish the oath as Federal law. Mr. Speaker, throughout our history, our Nation has been strengthened by immigrants who came here to pursue the American dream. Establishing the oath as the law of the land would remind all Americans that pursuing that dream also requires a full-time commitment to citizenship. I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this legislation to strengthen the meaning of our citizenship.”