Nine Years

The principle for this Constitution Monday is found in Article I.3.3, "A Senator must have been a citizen of the United States for at least nine years." This provision set forth the requirement that any person being elected to be a Senator must have lived in the United States for at least nine years. Most of the Founders had strong opinions about who should hold the power to make treaties and manage foreign affairs. They wanted to be sure that all Senators were free of foreign attachments and would work for the good of the United States of America.