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

Capitol Hill event recognizes 130 members of Congress

WASHINGTON, D.C. – In recognition for their efforts to promote English as the unifying language of the United States, U.S. English, Inc. presented 130 members of Congress with its bi-annual “A in English” award. 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. “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 111th 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. A full listing of the votes, grades, and award recipients can be found on our website. 

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 three years, with Oklahoma voting in November to become the 31st state with such a policy.

“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. “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 87 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.”