What Qualifications Must Members of Congress Meet?
In order to serve in one of the highest public roles in our society, as a member of Congress, there are certain qualifications that the United States Constitution demands interested candidates meet to hold the office. These requirements vary by the house of Congress you serve in.
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Citizenship
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All members of both the House of Representatives and the United States Senate must have citizenship within the United States. Both born citizens and naturalized citizens are eligible to serve in both houses of Congress.
There is no rule in the Constitution that forbids immigrants who have passed through the tests of naturalization to serve as legislators in the United States, though they are barred from the Presidency. There is no definition of how long a person must hold citizenship in order to serve in Congress, so they only need hold it at the time of taking office.
It is hypothetically possible that an individual could run, campaign and win office while going through the naturalization process as long as she has become a citizen before taking the oath of office.
Age
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In order to serve the office of Congress, a certain age and assumed majority are required. This requirement is different for each house of Congress.
No one under the age of 25 may serve in the House of Representatives, and no one under the age of 30 may serve in the Senate.
One of the youngest members of Congress currently serving is Representative Adam H. Putnam from Florida who entered the office at the age of 26.
It is uncommon for someone so young to serve, because typically Congressmen are elected later rather than earlier in their political career after serving in a number of local offices.
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U.S. Residency
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While Congressional representatives are not required to have been citizens for any specific length of time, they are required to have lived inside the country itself for a specified period that differs between the houses.
Members of the House of Representatives must have lived within the United States for at least seven years prior to serving in office. Members of the Senate must have lived within the United States for at least nine years prior to serving in office.
Vacations don't count against you.
State Residency
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In addition to being required to live inside the country, Congressional representatives must also inhabit the state that they wish to represent.
Members of the House of Representatives, despite representing a specific Congressional district, are not required to live inside that district in order to run for office within. They, like their counterparts in the Senate, simply must inhabit the state in which they are running.
It is a common practice for politicians to selectively define their residence for political purposes. They may register to vote, rent an apartment or pay taxes in a given state to establish their right to run, while spending most of their time in another state entirely.
The Supreme Court has consistently struck down state laws that attempt to restrict further the residency requirements for Congressmen.
Re-Election
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There are no term limits on representatives of either house of Congress, and incumbents are often re-elected consistently until they chose to retire from service. Often only a major scandal or shift in demographics will cause a change in representatives for a given district or state.
Members of the House of Representatives serve two-year terms.
Members of the Senate serve six-year terms.
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