In a House Financial Services Committee meeting this morning, Rep. Christopher Lee and a number of colleagues will attempt to block efforts permitting government imposed multilingualism on the private sector. Rep. Lee’s amendment to H.R. 3126, the Consumer Financial Protection Agency Act, would strike a clause requiring private businesses to provide consumer information in languages other than English. The amendment is expected to be voted on later today.

“Expanding multilingual government is troubling enough, but placing multilingual mandates on private businesses should rankle every American,” said Mauro E. Mujica, Chairman of U.S. English, Inc. “Uncle Sam is poised not only to tell businesses what to say and how to say it, but also to dictate what languages private companies must say it in. I urge all Americans to call members of the House Financial Services Committee and urge them to vote in favor of the Lee Amendment.”

Chairman Mujica also reacted to comments made yesterday during the committee hearing, during which several representatives attempted to link Rep. Lee’s efforts to the notion that official English proponents oppose the teaching of languages other than English:

“Government mandates for the provision of materials in languages other than English is a completely separate concept from the idea that Americans should learn foreign languages. On one hand we have taxpayer dollars being spent for the benefit of those who didn’t fulfill their obligation to learn the language of this country. On the other, we have a personal choice that is undertaken by the individual. As an immigrant who speaks five languages, I am ashamed that some representatives would attempt to blur this very solid line.

“Like the United States, most European counties advocate that their citizens learn languages other than the native tongue. However, nearly all European counties have an official language of government, a language for day-to-day operations. While they, like the United States, will always offer emergency services in non-official languages other than the official tongue, few extend that understandable need into a multilingual material clearinghouse.

“I hope that members of Congress will see through this smoke screen offered by some Representatives, support efforts that limit government multilingualism, and call out attempts to expand government imposed multilingual mandates on private businesses. Numerous surveys have shown that the American people support such efforts, as well as additional foreign language instruction. Thankfully, the American public understands that these two ideas are not mutually exclusive.”