U.S. English, Inc. Honors Recipients of "A in English" Awards

Capitol Hill event recognizes 130 members of Congress

In a ceremony at the U.S. Capitol today, U.S. English, Inc. presented 130 members of Congress with “A in English” awards for their efforts to promote English as the unifying language of the United States. The recipients, who represent 37 states and both sides of the political aisle, were recognized by U.S. English, Inc. Chairman Mauro E. Mujica.

“Today, we are honoring those members of Congress who understand that the common bond of the English language allows us to get the most from our diverse nation,” said Mujica. “If we were all to come here today and speak only our native tongues, we would be unable to share our thoughts and ideas, let alone make the laws for 300 million Americans. Through their support of official English legislation, these members are ensuring that government will be on the side of promoting English, not separating groups along language lines.”

“A in English” honors were awarded to members who received “A” grades on the U.S. English, Inc. legislative scorecard for the 110th Congress. Legislation that factored into the decision included co-sponsorship of H.R. 997, the English Language Unity Act, as well as a series of Congressional votes on reducing multilingualism in government and allowing employers the flexibility to enact English-in-the-Workplace policies. A full listing of the votes and grades can be found at http://www.us-english.org.

In recent years, official English legislation has received considerable attention as a vehicle for encouraging assimilation and improving the economic status of immigrants. In both 2006 and 2007, the U.S. Senate passed amendments making English the national language of the United States, although the bills to which these measures were attached did not receive a vote. At the state level, three states have enacted official English measures in the last two years, bringing the total number of states with such policies to 30.

“Nearly every congressional district in the United States is experiencing an increase in the population that struggles with English,” added Mujica, who immigrated from Chile in 1965. “The members of Congress honored today are working to ensure that we are on the road to creating a more united America. On behalf of the members of U.S. English, Inc. and the 84 percent of all Americans who want English to be our official language, I want to express my sincere appreciation to these strong supporters of our common language.”