H. Con. Res. 83 (opposes EOL)



104th Congress H. CON. RES. 83 As Introduced in the House



Note: This document is the unofficial version of a Bill or Resolution.

The printed Bill and Resolution produced by the Government Printing

Office is the only official version.



VERSION As Introduced in the House

CONGRESS 104th CONGRESS

1st Session

BILL H. CON. RES. 83

TITLE Entitled, the `English Plus Resolution`.

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IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

JULY 13, 1995

Mr. Serrano (for himself, Mr. Pastor, Ms. Ros-Lehtinen, Ms. Vela

1zquez, Mr. Underwood, Mr. Romero-Barcelo 1, Mr. Gutierrez, Mr.

Richardson, Mr. Torres, Mr. Becerra, Ms. Roybal-Allard, Mr.

Gonzalez, Mr. Ortiz, Mr. Tejeda, Mr. Menendez, Mr. Towns, Mr.

Owens, Mr. Farr, Mr. McDermott, Mr. Moran, Mrs. Meek of

Florida, Ms. Jackson-Lee, Mr. Fattah, Mr. Scott, Mr. Dellums,

Ms. Pelosi, Mr. Miller of California, Mr. Lewis of Georgia, Mr.

Nadler, Mr. Rangel, Mr. Mineta, Mrs. Mink of Hawaii, and Mr.

Abercrombie) submitted the following concurrent resolution;

which was referred to the Committee on Economic and Educational

Opportunities

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TEXT CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

Entitled, the `English Plus Resolution`.

Whereas English is the primary language of the United States, and

all members of the society recognize the importance of English

to national life and individual accomplishment;

Whereas many residents of the United States speak native languages

other than English, including many languages indigenous to this

country, and these linguistic resources should be conserved and

developed;

Whereas this Nation was founded on a commitment to democratic

principles, and not on racial, ethnic, or religious

homogeneity, and has drawn strength from a diversity of

languages and cultures and from a respect for individual

liberties;

Whereas multilingualism, or the ability to speak languages in

addition to English, is a tremendous resource to the United

States because such ability enhances American competitiveness

in global markets by permitting improved communication and

cross-cultural understanding between producers and suppliers,

vendors and clients, and retailers and consumers;

Whereas multilingualism improves United States diplomatic efforts

by fostering enhanced communication and greater understanding

between nations;

Whereas multilingualism has historically been an essential element

of national security, including the use of Native American

languages in the development of coded communications during

World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War;

Whereas multilingualism promotes greater cross-cultural

understanding between different racial and ethnic groups in the

United States;

Whereas there is no threat to the status of English in the United

States, a language that is spoken by 94 percent of United

States residents, according to the 1990 United States Census,

and there is no need to designate any official United States

language or to adopt similar restrictionist legislation;

Whereas `English-only` measures, or proposals to designate English

as the sole official language of the United States, would

violate traditions of cultural pluralism, divide communities

along ethnic lines, jeopardize the provision of law

enforcement, public health, education, and other vital services

to those whose English is limited, impair government

efficiency, and undercut the national interest by hindering the

development of language skills needed to enhance international

competitiveness and conduct diplomacy; and

Whereas such `English-only` measures would represent an unwarranted

Federal regulation of self-expression, abrogate constitutional

rights to freedom of expression and equal protection of the

laws, violate international human rights treaties to which the

United States is a signatory, and contradict the spirit of the

1923 Supreme Court case Meyer v. Nebraska, wherein the Court

declared that `The protection of the Constitution extends to

all; to those who speak other languages as well as to those

born with English on the tongue`: Now, therefore, be it

Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring),

That the United States Government should pursue policies that -

(1) encourage all residents of this country to become fully

proficient in English by expanding educational opportunities;

(2) conserve and develop the Nation`s linguistic resources by

encouraging all residents of this country to learn or maintain

skills in a language other then English;

(3) assist Native Americans, Native Alaskans, Native

Hawaiians, and other peoples indigenous to the United States,

in their efforts to prevent the extinction of their languages

and cultures;

(4) continue to provide services in languages other than

English as needed to facilitate access to essential functions

of government, promote public health and safety, ensure due

process, promote equal educational opportunity, and protect

fundamental rights; and

(5) recognize the importance of multilingualism to vital

American interests and individual rights, and oppose

`English-only` measures and similar language restrictionist

measures.

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