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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