[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 32 (Tuesday, February 21, 1995)]
[House]
[Page H1910]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                       THE NATIONAL LANGUAGE ACT

  (Mr. KING asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute.)
  Mr. KING. Madam Speaker, for the first 180 years of our Nation, 
immigrants who came to this country were encouraged to maintain their 
identity, their culture, their religious beliefs, their traditions. 
Just as importantly, they were encouraged to learn to speak the English 
language. This was the glue that bound us together as a nation. This 
was the common theme that all of us shared as Americans.
  However, for the past 25 years, our social engineers in Washington 
have actually been encouraging people not to learn English. We have 
billions of dollars being spent on bilingual education. We have 
citizenship ceremonies being conducted in languages other than English. 
We have signs in government buildings in languages other than English.
  That is why today, Madam Speaker, I am introducing the National 
Language Act which will declare English to be the official language of 
this country. This will require all government publications to be in 
English. It would end bilingual education. It would end bilingual 
voting ballots, and it would require all government business to be 
transacted in English.
  In doing this, I intend to work with such distinguished Members of 
this body as the gentleman from Wisconsin [Mr. Roth], the gentleman 
from Missouri [Mr. Emerson], the gentleman from California [Mr. 
Doolittle], who have similar type legislation so that we can work 
together to restore the American dream of all immigrants and allow them 
to become part of American society.

                          ____________________