There have been numerous attempts to get the Senate and House to respond to questions about the eligibility of Barack Obama to assume the office of President of the United States.[1]
Here are some responses by US members of Congress to inquiries about Obama's eligibility:
“Thank you for contacting me with your concerns about the qualifications required to be President of the United States. Should any legislation concerning this issue come before Congress, please rest assured that I will keep your thoughts and comments in mind.
It was good to hear from you. Please feel free to contact me any time you have an issue of concern before Congress. It is an honor to serve as your United States Representative.”
There are two requirements to become President of the United States: You must be 35 and a natural born US Citizen. Many people have argued based on immigration law relating to the transfer of citizenship from either parent when born off of US soil, that Senator Obama is ineligible to run for president. However, Barack Obama was born in Hawaii in 1961. Though those born in US territories are automatically considered citizens, Hawaii became a state in 1959. The arguments against Obama's citizenship based on his parents' status are moot, since being born on American soil automatically makes Senator Obama a US citizen.
Thank you for contacting me to share your concerns over President-elect Obama's citizenship. I appreciate hearing from you.
Article II, Section 1, Clause 5 of the United States Constitution states, "No Person except a natural born Citizen, or a Citizen of the United States, at the time of the Adoption of this Constitution, shall be eligible to the Office of President; neither shall any Person be eligible to that Office who shall not have attained to the Age of thirty five Years, and been fourteen Years a Resident within the United States." President-elect Obama demonstrated his citizenship during his campaign by circulating copies of his birth certificate, which showed he was born in Hawaii on August 4, 1961.
On December 8, 2008, the Supreme Court declined to hear a case filed by a New Jersey attorney, Mr. Donofrio , regarding President-elect Obama's citizenship. Unlike many of the lawsuits regarding President-elect Obama's citizenship, which claim he was really born on foreign soil, Mr. Donofrio's case concedes that President-elect Obama was born in Hawaii but contends he still held foreign citizenship at birth. Mr. Donofrio's lawsuit argues that since President-elect Obama's father was a Kenyan citizen and therefore subject to the jurisdiction of the United Kingdom at the time of President-elect Obama's birth, then Obama was a British citizen at birth and not eligible to be President of the United States.
Another attorney, Mr. Berg, has filed a lawsuit regarding President-elect Obama's citizenship and is waiting to hear whether the Supreme Court will take up the case or not. A federal judge in Eastern Pennsylvania threw out Mr. Berg's lawsuit in October, saying he lacked legal standing to bring the challenge since he could not show he faced individual harm even if he could prove his claims about President-elect Obama's citizenship. The judge did not get to the merits of the case. Mr. Berg is appealing the standing issue to the Supreme Court.
If a person is born in the United States, a certificate of live birth issued where one is born is sufficient proof of U.S. citizenship. The certificate, confirmed by the Hawaii Department of Health as authentic, shows that President-elect Obama was born in Hawaii.
If you would like to receive timely email alerts regarding the latest congressional actions and my weekly e-newsletter, please sign up via my web site at: www.chambliss.senate.gov . Please let me know whenever I may be of assistance.
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Thank you for contacting me regarding citizenship and other eligibility requirements for public office. I appreciate hearing your thoughts and welcome the opportunity to respond.
As you know, some have raised questions about the eligibility of President-elect Barack Obama (D-Illinois) and Senator John McCain (R-Arizona) for the office of President of the United States. Having confidence in the electoral process and our public officials is critical to maintaining public confidence in our democracy. As such, the voters must be confident in the integrity of the electoral process and our electoral institutions.
The Constitution and federal law require that, among other things, only native-born U.S. citizens (or those born abroad, but only to parents who were both American citizens) may be President of the United States. In President-elect Obama's case, some individuals have filed lawsuits in state and federal courts alleging that he has not proven that he is an American citizen, but each of those lawsuits have been dismissed. Furthermore, both the Director of Hawaii's Department of Health and the state's Registrar of Vital Statistics recently confirmed that Mr. Obama was born in Honolulu, Hawaii on August 4, 1961 and, as such, meets the constitutional citizenship requirements for the presidency. If contrary documentation is produced and verified, this matter will necessarily be resolved by the judicial branch of our government under the Constitution.
Again, thank you for contacting me. Please feel free to contact me in the future on this or other matters of interest to you. For more information about the issues before the U.S. Senate as well as news releases, photos, and other items of interest, please visit my Senate website, http://crapo.senate.gov.
Thank you for writing regarding President Barack Obama's qualifications to be President. I appreciate hearing from you and I apologize for the delay in my response.
Article II, Section 1 of the U.S. Constitution specifies the qualifications for this executive office. It states that no person except for a natural born American citizen is eligible to run for President of the United States. Also, the candidate must be at least thirty-five years of age and have resided in the United States for at least fourteen years.
President Obama meets these constitutional requirements. He was born in Honolulu, Hawaii, on August 4, 1961. According to the Fourteenth Amendment, all persons born in the United States are considered citizens of the United States. Under these criteria, President Obama, a 47-year old U.S. citizen, who has resided in the United States for longer than fourteen years, is eligible to be President.
Once again, thank you for writing. If you have any further questions or comments, please do not hesitate to contact my Washington, D.C. staff at (202) 224-3841.
Thank you for contacting me in regards to President-Elect Obama’s eligibility to hold the office of President. I appreciate having the benefit of your views on this issue.
Dozens of lawsuits challenging Mr. Obama’s eligibility to serve as President have been filed in state and federal courts all over the country, including a suit filed by former Pennsylvania Deputy Attorney General Philip Berg that the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear on January 12, 2009. Mr. Berg is now attempting to sue in the name of a retired U.S. Air Force Colonel to determine whether Mr. Obama is qualified to give orders calling the colonel back into the service. Please know that I will continue to closely follow this important legal issue as it works its way through our judicial system.
You are right to be concerned with anything as important as the Constitutional requirements for holding the highest elected office in this country. Failing to be concerned would send a message that the law just doesn’t matter if you’re in a high enough office. I believe the system will work and the whole truth will eventually be public. In the meantime, I truly do appreciate your input and also having the opportunity to be your servant in the United States House of Representatives.
Thank you for contacting my office regarding Senator Barack Obama’s birth certificate. I appreciate hearing from you and appreciate the opportunity to respond.
The United States Constitution requires the President to be a natural born citizen of the United States. Senator Obama’s campaign provided his birth certificate to the media amid allegations that he did not meet this qualification. The certificate, confirmed by the Hawaii Department of Health as authentic, shows that he was born in Hawaii. There are a number of lawsuits pending on this matter, and I will be following the outcomes of the cases closely. [emphasis mine]
Thank you again for contacting me. Please visit my webpage at http://isakson.senate.gov/ for more information on the issues important to you and to sign up for my e-newsletter.
Sincerely,
Johnny Isakson
United States Senator
Senator Herb Kohl[]
Thank you for contacting me. I appreciate hearing from
you and welcome this opportunity to respond.
As you may know, Hawaii became a state on August 21st,
1959. President-elect Barack Obama was born in Hawaii in 1961, making him a United States citizen at birth under the first section of the 14th Amendment to the Constitution. President-elect Obama's birth certificate has been made public, and is widely available online. This document has been authenticated by a variety of sources, including the Hawaii Department of Health and the Annenberg Public Policy Center.
I hope this information proves useful to you. If I can be of assistance to you in any other matters, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Sincerely,
Herb Kohl
U.S. Senator
Thank you for contacting me. I appreciate hearing from
you and welcome this opportunity to respond.
As you may know, Hawaii became a state on August 21st,
1959. President-elect Barack Obama was born in Hawaii in 1961, making him a United States citizen at birth under the first section of the 14th Amendment to the Constitution. President-elect Obama's birth certificate has been made public, and is widely available online. This document has been authenticated by a variety of sources, including the Hawaii Department of Health and the Annenberg Public Policy Center.
Additionally, on December 5, 2008, the United States Supreme Court considered Donofrio v. Wells, a case questioning President-elect Obama's citizenship, in conference. The Justices voted not to hear this case, making it the second case related to President-elect Obama's citizenship that the Supreme Court refused to hear. The first, Berg v. Obama, was rejected at
conference on November 3, 2008.
I hope this information proves useful to you. If I can be of assistance to you in any other matters, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Thank you for contacting me regarding the false rumors surrounding President-elect Obama's citizenship status. I appreciate you sharing your thoughts with me.
As you may know, Article II, Section I of the U.S. Constitution states that, "No person except a natural born Citizen, or a Citizen of the United States, at the time of the Adoption of this Constitution, shall be eligible to the Office of President."
President-elect Obama was born in Hawaii as documented by his official birth certificate. He is, therefore, a natural born citizen of the United States. Thank you again for writing.
Sincerely,
Carl Levin
Thank you for your follow-up letter with your comments on my initial response to you. I appreciate your thoughtful arguments, even though at this time we are in disagreement.
As I have stated on the floor of the Senate, it is my belief that what the American people want from their government -- more than any specific decision -- is candor, honesty, and the truth. Thus I hope you understand why I responded to you in the way I did.
Whether we agree on specific issues or not, I trust you will continue to believe that I am serving you, Michigan, and the entire country with integrity. Also, whether or not we agree on specific issues, I continue to respect and desire to hear your opinions.
Congressman John Linder might be willing to raise an objection on January 8, 2009, writing in part:[2]
This story has been percolating in the media for a number of months. Unfortunately, unless Senator Obama produces the documentation on his own, at this time, there is no way to verify if he is in fact a natural born citizen of the United States.
On January 8, 2009, both the U.S. Senate and House shall meet for the purpose of counting and certifying the electoral votes. After the vote has been counted, the President of the Senate shall call for objections. It is at this time that Federal officials in both the House and Senate may object to the certification of President-elect Obama by alleging that he fails to meet the Constitutional requirements to serve as President of the United States. Please be assured that I will continue to monitor this issue very carefully, and I will act when appropriate and necessary.
However, he did not raise an objection, and later wrote:
PLEASE DO NOT REPLY TO THIS EMAIL ADDRESS
To contact me directly, please visit my Congressional website at http://linder.house.gov/contactjohn/.
If you have received this message in error, please disregard. Thank you.
Thank you for contacting me regarding President-elect Barack Obama's eligibility to serve as President. I appreciate hearing from you.
I regret that many people were recently misinformed about my position on the issue of President-elect Obama's eligibility to serve as President. Sensationalized accounts stated that I intended to object to the certification of the Electoral College vote based on questions surrounding President-elect Obama's origin of birth. At no time did I state that I intended to object to the certification of votes. It is unfortunate that my position was misrepresented, however, I hope that this letter serves as clarification.
Again, thank you for contacting me. If I can be of further assistance in the future, please do not hesitate to call on me.
Sincerely,
John Linder
Member of Congress
PLEASE DIRECT ALL POSTAL CORRESPONDENCE TO:
1026 LONGWORTH HOUSE OFFICE BUILDING
WASHINGTON, DC 20515-1007
PLEASE DO NOT REPLY TO THIS EMAIL ADDRESS
To contact me directly, please visit my Congressional website at http://linder.house.gov/contactjohn/.
If you have received this message in error, please disregard. Thank you.
Congressman Mike Michaud[]
December 16, 2008
M. XXX XXX
XXX
XXX, Maine 04939-XXXX
Dear XXX:
Thank you for contacting me regarding your concerns that President-elect Obama has not proven his citizenship. I appreciate hearing from you.
The rumors concerning President-elect Obama's citizenship are not valid. Candidates for President of the United States face rigorous scrutiny and provide public documents regarding their citizenship. I am confident that President-elect Obama has proven that he is a citizen. He was born in Hawaii and lived there for most of his pre-college years. I am pleased with this very historic opportunity to have President-elect Obama represent our country as the next President of the United States.
I look forward to working with President-elect Obama in the 111th Congress. Government works best when it stands for the working families of this country. This means supporting important programs in education, healthcare, and economic development. It also means bringing the national deficit under control, so our children will not be burdened by tremendous debt, and making sure that free trade is fair trade with protections for environment and labor standards.
Thank you again for sharing your views with me. In addition, I also provide occasional email updates on a range of issues affecting people in Maine. If you would like to receive this information, please visit my website at http://michaud.house.gov/email_newsletter.asp and sign up for my email newsletter. I appreciate the opportunity to represent you.
Here is an account of a telephone conversation with Congressman Ron Paul.
Thank you for contacting my office regarding Barack Obama. My staff has researched the issue of his citizenship. Our research has led us to conclude that the state of Hawaii has issued a valid birth certificate showing that Barack Obama was born in the United States. As you may know, the Congress certified the results of the electoral college on January 8, 2008.
Of course, I remain committed to fighting for limited, constitutional government, and I oppose the big government agenda President-elect Obama embraced in his campaign.
Thank you again for contacting my office. Please feel free to do so in the future with any other questions, comments, or suggestions.
Sincerely,
Ron Paul
Confirmation # 1247131
I cannot guarantee the integrity of the text of this letter if it was not sent to you directly from my Congressional Email Account: rep.paul@mail.house.gov. If you have any questions about the validity of this message, please email me at: rep.paul@mail.house.gov or call my Washington, DC office at: (202) 225-2831.
This is an account of a telephone conversation with an assistant of Congressman Peter Roskam:
The way the congressman's assistant explained it, jobs where you apply, background checks are allowed. Jobs where you are voted in....they aren't allowed. Once you are voted in, it is assumed that you are eligible for your position.
My response was WHAT ABOUT MY RIGHTS to have a legal, vetted person sitting in the WH?
I wanted to know what Roskam's position was concerning my letter of point of order and position to redress asking him to challenge the certification of the vote. He said he did not know what Roskam's position was concerning that, but that he would get back to me. There is a possibility of an actual conference call with Peter himself. I have been calling and writing and emailing since October and just now am getting to make my voice heard.
These issues are almost MORE troubling to me as the Obama's COLB issue and the fact that one needs to be "natural-born"! This would mean that ANYONE, no matter what, could be POTUS or Senator or Representative WITHOUT knowing who they are.
Senator James Sensenbrenner[]
November 18, 2008
Dear _________:
Thank you for your recent e-mail regarding the eligibility of President-elect Barack Obama to serve as President of the United States. I appreciate your views.
As you may know, the Senate unanimously passed S. Res 511, recognizing that Senator McCain is a natural born citizen. This measure came about in response to questions that were raised with respect to Sen McCain's eligibility due to the fact he was born outside of the United States to U.S. citizens while his father was serving in the U.S. military.
In President-elect Obama's case, such legislation was not deemed necessary because claims that Mr. Obama is constitutionally ineligible for the nation's highest office are unfounded. No credible evidence has surfaced to call into question his eligibility to run.
I hope this information is helpful. Thanks again for taking the time to contact me.
Toll-Free number for constituents outside the Milwaukee Metro calling area: (800) 242-1119
“Thank you for contacting me. I always appreciate hearing from my constituents.
Senator Jeff Sessions[]
“Thank you for your recent letter regarding presidential candidate and U.S. Senator Barack Obama.
I appreciate your taking the time to share your thoughts with me. Although many stories regarding public figures circulate on the internet, it is important to note that not all may be factual. As you consider your choices for president in 2008, I encourage you to continue to share your concerns with others and vote your conscience.
Thank you again for writing. Please do not hesitate to contact me or a member of my staff if we may ever be of assistance to you.”
Very truly yours,
Jeff Sessions
United States Senator
Contact Jeff Sessions[]
Senator Richard Shelby[]
Senate ethics rules prevent me from responding to political inquiries in the course of my official duties as a U.S. Senator. Accordingly, I cannot use the Senatorial mailing privilege to discuss political, partisan or campaign-related matters. I do nonetheless, appreciate you sharing your insights on these matters with me.
Again, thank you for contacting me. If I can be of assistance in the future, please do not hesitate to let me know.”
Sincerely,
Richard Shelby
Thank you for taking the time to contact me about President-elect Barack Obama's citizenship status. I always appreciate hearing from my constituents.
Under the United States Constitution, Section 1 of Article II contains a clause that states:
"No Person except a natural born Citizen, or a Citizen of the United States, at the time of the Adoption of this Constitution, shall be eligible to the Office of President; neither shall any
Person be eligible to that Office who shall not have attained to the Age of thirty five Years, and been fourteen Years a Resident within the United States."
Many have contacted me regarding the numerous claims and lawsuits circulating on the internet asserting that Obama is not a natural born citizen and therefore ineligible to become United States President.
However, President-elect Obama has presented his birth certificate, showing that he was born in Hawaii, and it has been verified and confirmed by Hawaiian officials. Additionally, the Supreme Court has declined to act on any of the cases contesting Obama's citizenship.
On January 8, 2009, Members of Congress were given the opportunity to contest the issue in a joint session of Congress, but no such objectlon was raised during the meeting. By-all accounts,
President-elect Barack Obama meets those requirements.
Please be assured that I will continue to monitor the situation should further
issues arise.
Thank you again for contacting me. If I may be of any further assistance, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Thank you for contacting me regarding the 2008 Presidential Election. I appreciate hearing from you and having the opportunity to respond.
Each day many Idahoans contact me through letters, emails, faxes and telephone calls to express their opinions on a host of issues. Your views on the election are insightful and interesting, and I am glad you have shared them with me.
You mentioned your opinion on the citizenship of President-elect Obama. The Supreme Court has turned down the appeal that questioned the eligibility of President-elect Obama to hold the office of President. The Court did not comment on its order.
Barack Obama will be inaugurated as the 44th President of the United States on January 20, 2009. I look forward to working with the new administration to continue serving Idahoans throughout the 111th Congress.
Once again, thank you for taking time to contact me with your concerns. The thoughts and opinions of Idahoans are important to me as your Representative in the United States Congress. I also encourage you to visit my website at www.house.gov/simpson to sign up for my e-newsletter and to read more about my views on a variety of issues.
Thank you for contacting me about President-Elect Barack Obama's qualifications for the presidency. I appreciate hearing from you.
In response to the concerns you raised, the director of the State of Hawaii's Dept. of Health confirmed on Oct. 31st, 2008 that Barack Obama was born in Honolulu, Hawaii. She was also quoted in the newspaper Honolulu Advertiser on Nov. 1,2008 that she had "personally seen and verified that the Hawaii State Department of Health has Senator Obama's original birth certificate on record in accordance with state policies and procedures."
Again, thank you for contacting me. I hope you will feel free to share with me any thoughts or concerns you may have on any future issues.
Thank you for contacting our office regarding the allegations that President-Elect Barack Obama was not born in the United States. I appreciate you taking the time to share your thoughts with me on this issue.
There are claims that President-Elect Obama was born in Africa and not in the United States which would make him ineligible to become president. The Obama campaign released a scanned copy of his birth certificate in June 2008, but many people believe it was a forgery. The non-partisan organization Political Fact Check (this group monitors the factual accuracy of political information) has examined Mr. Obama's birth certificate and they report that it is valid and he is a U.S. citizen. I have included a link to a Newsweek article that was written on this subject and includes links to pictures of the birth certificate (http://www.newsweek.com/id/154599).
Again, thank you for sharing your views with me and I hope you will feel free to contact our office with any issues of concern to you in the future.
Sincerely,
John Tanner, M. C.
Contact John Tanner[]
Senator Mark Warner[]
Senator Roger Wicker[]
Thank you for contacting me regarding questions surrounding President-Elect Obama’s citizenship. I am glad to have the benefit of your views on this issue.
The U.S.Constitution requires the President to be a
natural-born citizen. In August, a lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in Philadelphia alleged that President-Elect Obama was born in Kenya, not
Hawaii. The lawyer who filed this action has also filed suits alleging President Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney knew about the September 11
terrorist attacks. He also has called for Supreme Court Justices Clarence Thomas, Antonin Scalia, and former Justice Sandra Day O’Conner to disbar
themselves for their decision in the 2001 Bush v. Gore. In October, a federal judge dismissed the Obama suit, and on Dec 8, 2008 , the Supreme
Court declined to hear the emergency appeal without opinion. Several similar cases have been filed in various courts across the country and are going through the judicial process. It appears unlikely that Senate Democratic leaders will bring up legislation related to this issue in the 111th Congress.
I hope this information is helpful. Please do not
hesitate to contact me if I can be of assistance.
Thank you for your recent correspondence regarding
President-elect Obama's citizenship. I appreciate your taking the time to write.
I understand your concerns and welcome your comments
on this matter. President-elect Obama has ascended to the highest office in the country this past November and will be sworn in as President on January 20, 2009. Given the dynamic of these past elections, misinformation has been circulating throughout this country regarding his citizenship.
Claims prior to and after the election over President-elect Obama's legal citizenship, holding both United States and Kenyan citizenship, would impact his right to hold the Office of the President of the United States. Neither Congress nor the Judiciary views this as having any merit as he was born in Hawaii with a confirmed birth certificate.
It is an honor to represent the people of the Second
Congressional District of South Carolina, and I value your input.
If I may be of further assistance to you, please do not
hesitate to contact me.
Anonymous Male Staffer answering telephone at DC office of Senator McCain[]
At about 1600 hours ET on January 7, 2009, a male staff member answered McCain's Washington DC office telephone and was quite dismissive when I raised the question of the President-elect's eligibility. I suggested that there was some real issues that had not been settled because over 20 lawsuits had been filed, and this young staff member hung up the phone on me in a fit of pique.
If you want me to take you seriously, you must stop mistating/ignoring the facts. You said: "In Senate Resolution 511 unanimously adopted earlier this year, the
Senate affirmed that to be a natural born citizen, one must be the child of two American citizen parents."
This is simply incorrect. S.Res. 511, ironically, cosponsored by then-Senator Obama, acknowledges Sen. John McCain's eligibility to run for President as a "natural born Citizen. " It confirms that Sen. McCain was born to "American citizens on an American military base in the Panama Canal Zone," but creates no requirement that in order to be a natural born citizen your parents must both be American citizens.
You also point to a survey on AOL that suggests that a majority of Americans think that the President-elect's eligibility is in question. Besides the fact that this survey is not being conducted in a scientific manner according to accepted polling guidelines, I believe that most Americans believe otherwise and have already come to the correct conclusion that Obama is a natural born citizen. Thus, the only ones responding to the survey are those who are being led to it by individuals and organizations who want to keep the issue on life support. For example, although I am somewhat well read, this is the first I heard of the survey and I wouldn't have come accross it without your prompting.
Please stop this deliberate campaign of misinformation which preys on the ignorance of those without access to legitimate information...or...if you wish...continue to waste your time.
Anyway, I mean you no ill-will. Thank you for writing me and I hope you find time to have a happy holidays!
