(Washington D.C.)- Congressman Brian Bilbray was recognized at the U.S. Capitol today by U.S. English, Inc. for his dedication to preserving the unifying role of the English language in the United States. Bilbray was one of a select number of House members honored with an “A in English” award based on his votes and co-sponsorships of official English legislation in the 110th Congress.
“I am pleased to present this award to Rep. Bilbray for his efforts to unite our diverse nation under the common language of English,” said Mauro E. Mujica, Chairman of the Board of U.S. English, Inc. “Rep. Bilbray has been a strong supporter of official English policies during his time in Congress. At a time when there is renewed interest toward preserving what unites us as a nation, we are grateful to Rep. Bilbray for his dedicated and enthusiastic support of this issue.”
“English is the language upon which our nation was founded,” said Bilbray. “The United States is a thriving melting pot, and I would never want to deny anyone the right to enjoy their cultural customs; however, it is vitally important to the progress and prosperity of our great country that we continue to advance under one language.”
“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.usenglish.org.
According to several recent nationwide polls, an overwhelming majority of Americans support making English the official language of the United States. Polls conducted by Zogby International, the Winston Group and Rasmussen Reports have all found more than 80 percent of Americans in support of official English policies, with strong majorities among Republicans, Democrats and Independents.
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