[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 149 (Tuesday, December 9, 2014)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1763-E1764]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             CELEBRATING THE 20TH ANNIVERSARY OF PROENGLISH

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. STEVE KING

                                of iowa

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, December 9, 2014

  Mr. KING of Iowa. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the 20th 
anniversary of ProEnglish, a national grassroots organization based in 
Arlington, VA.
  ProEnglish works on Capitol Hill, in the states, in the courts, and 
in the court of public opinion to defend English as our common language 
and to make it the official language at all levels of government.
  ProEnglish is an effective and vigorous advocate for English language 
unity, and for the past 20 years, ProEnglish has worked hard to stop 
harmful, divisive policies such as bilingual education and multilingual 
ballots.
  At the time of their founding, only 18 states had passed laws 
establishing English as the official language, yet thanks to ProEnglish 
along with other patriots, 31 states and countless towns, cities, and 
counties have official English laws today.
  Originally founded in 1994 as English Language Advocates, it was 
renamed ProEnglish and helped defend Arizona's state official English 
law. This law was the subject of a 10-year long federal court 
challenge, Arizonans for Official English v. Arizona (1997). The case 
was eventually appealed all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court, and the 
ruling there was important in upholding official English laws in other 
states.
  ProEnglish has filed amicus curiae briefs in a number of successful 
landmark English cases, including Home v. Flores (2009), where the U.S. 
Supreme Court found that bilingual education (where children are 
segregated by language and taught primarily in their native tongue) was 
not the most effective way of teaching children.
  In Anderson v. Utah (2001), ProEnglish successfully argued in defense 
of a year 2000 official English ballot initiative that passed by 67% of 
the popular vote. This ballot initiative declared English as Utah's 
official language.
  ProEnglish has even come to the aid of various small business owners, 
like Richard and Shauna Kidman in EEOC v. Kidmans (2002), who were 
bullied by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) for 
implementing lawful English-language workplace policies.
  The organization has testified before Congress and various local and 
state legislatures with the goal of restoring the Melting Pot principle 
inherent in having a common language. Our common English language has 
helped make the U.S. the most successful multi-ethnic and multi-racial 
nation on earth.
  Over 90% of the world's nations have an established official 
language, but despite the high levels of public support, the United 
States is not one of them. Polls continue to show that immigrants--like 
all Americans--support official English in overwhelming numbers.
  The vast majority of Americans agree that official English laws are 
necessary to prevent waste, protect freedom, and protect national 
unity. Official English laws are nondiscriminatory, because they treat 
all Americans, of whatever background, alike.
  Mr. Speaker, it is an honor to recognize ProEnglish for its 20th 
anniversary. I ask all of my distinguished colleagues to join me in 
commending ProEnglish on its commitment to preserve English's role as 
the nation's unifying tongue.

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