HR 9063: Hire American Act

HR 9063 in plain English: This bill would require federal employees or contractors to be U.S. citizens or nationals, and imposes penalties on those who knowingly submit false affidavits related to employment eligibility, including fines up to $50,000 and up to 5 years in prison.

Stated purpose

The bill aims to restrict federal government employment to U.S. citizens and nationals, with limited exceptions for specific roles such as translators, emergency field workers, international broadcasters, and wildland firefighters under international agreements.

Key points

• Restricts federal employment and contracting to U.S. citizens or nationals
• Penalizes knowing submission of false affidavits with fines up to $50,000, up to 5 years imprisonment, or both

Arguments supporters make

• Federal jobs are funded by American taxpayers, so it makes sense that those positions should go to citizens and nationals first
• Requiring citizenship for government work helps protect sensitive information and ensures employees have a direct civic stake in the country they serve
• The bill creates clear accountability by requiring signed affidavits and public reporting, reducing the chance of fraud or unchecked hiring

Arguments opponents make

• Some federal agencies rely on non-citizen workers with specialized skills that may be difficult to replace with citizens alone, potentially harming government operations
• Non-citizens who are lawful permanent residents and have worked for the federal government may lose their jobs despite having contributed reliably for years
• The bill overrides existing anti-discrimination protections under immigration law, which could expose the government to legal challenges and set a broad precedent

Tradeoffs

Prioritizing citizenship in federal hiring may strengthen the case that public jobs serve American workers first, but could reduce the pool of qualified candidates and disrupt agencies that currently rely on non-citizen employees for specialized or hard-to-fill roles.

Current status in Congress: In committee.