As the general secretary of the Ministry of Culture and then the Minister of Culture, Jeryes Samawi oversaw the Jordanian Writers Association (JWA) until a constitutional reform passed in October banned ministers and members of parliament from holding dual citizenship. (At nineteen he immigrated with his mother to New York City and became a U.S. citizen). Samawi subsequently renounced his American citizenship, but in the ensuing political wrangling, he eventually resigned. Morison writes that members see acceptance into the JWA as an important social and political step in the Jordanian literary community. Other writers claim the group has become insignificant. Both sides agree there are few tangible benefits to membership. Members are not paid or granted additional access to social services, and are not more likely to have their work published.