U.S. Sen. Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio, is proposing a change in U.S. law that would eliminate a freedom that has been cemented since 1967. His proposed Exclusive Citizenship Act of 2025 would eliminate dual citizenship and “establish that citizens of the United States shall owe sole and exclusive allegiance to the United States.”

Moreno was born in Colombia. His family immigrated to the U.S. when he was 5 years old. He became a naturalized U.S. citizen at 18, and at that time, renounced his Colombian citizenship.

“One of the greatest honors of my life was when I became an American citizen at 18, the first opportunity I could do so,” Moreno said, according to a report by WFMJ. “It was an honor to pledge an Oath of Allegiance to the United States of America and ONLY to the United States of America! Being an American citizen is an honor and a privilege — and if you want to be an American, it’s all or nothing. It’s time to end dual citizenship for good.”

But Moreno was not forced into renouncing his Colombian citizenship.

That’s because back in 1967 the U.S. Supreme Court held that Congress has no power under the Constitution to strip a person of citizenship.

According to the U.S. State Department, “U.S. law does not impede its citizens’ acquisition of foreign citizenship whether by birth, descent, naturalization or other form of acquisition.” It also notes examples such as “a child born in a foreign country to U.S. national parents may be both a U.S. national and a national of the country of birth. Or, an individual having one nationality at birth may naturalize at a later date in another country and become a dual national.”

These are options available for a variety of reasons.

“U.S. law does not require a U.S. citizen to choose between U.S. citizenship and another (foreign) nationality (or nationalities). A U.S. citizen may naturalize in a foreign state without any risk to their U.S. citizenship,” the State Department says.

Why attempt to change the law to take away that freedom?

The State Department also notes “U.S. dual nationals owe allegiance to both the United States and the foreign country (or countries, if they are nationals of more than one). They are required to obey the laws of both countries, and either country has the right to enforce its laws.”

Moreno was free to make his choice. So, while his heart may be in the right place, it begs the question: Why would he want to take that freedom from someone else?