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English Language Unity Act Introduced in the 112th Congress

Similar legislation in 110th, 111th Congresses had more than 135 co-sponsors

March 11, 2011

Washington, D.C.—Lawmakers from across the country came together today to introduce legislation that would make English the official language of the United States. The effort, lead by Rep. Steve King and sixty other members of the U.S. House of Representatives, brings H.R. 997 for consideration by Congress. As written, the bill would reduce government multilingualism and focus government agencies on promoting English acquisition. Numerous polls consistently prove that more than four-fifths of Americans support making English the official language. The bill is expected to enjoy the most congressional support in nearly a decade.

“After years of discussion and debate, the time has come for Congress to show real leadership and promote our common language by making English the official language of the United States,” said Mauro E. Mujica, Chairman of the Board of U.S. English, Inc. “We know the American people overwhelmingly support ending the gratuitous linguistic crutch offered by government. An official English policy is sensible legislation and I applaud Rep. King for leading the charge on such important legislation.”

The English Language Unity Act of 2011 would require the United States government to conduct most official business in English. Specifically, H.R. 997 would limit routine government operations to English, while giving government agencies common sense exceptions to protect public health and safety, national security, and to provide for the needs of commerce and the criminal justice system.

Efforts to make English the official language of the United States date back to 1981, when Senator S.I. Hayakawa introduced legislation to emphasize English acquisition and reduce government multilingualism. Since that time, more than 700 members of Congress have co-sponsored or voted for pending measures, including five which passed the Senate and one which passed the House of Representatives. In the 111th Congress, there were nearly 140 bi-partisan co-sponsors of The English Language Unity Act, marking the ninth time in the last nine Congresses where an official English bill has garnered co-sponsorships from more than 100 Representatives.

“Making English the official language is not a partisan issue, it is an American issue,” continued Mujica. “I look forward to working with lawmakers on both sides of the aisle to reduce limited English proficiency in the United States and promote English acquisition through sensible government policies.”


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