Senate Passes Competing Language Amendments

[Terri]

Senate Votes to Make English the `National Language' of U.S.

Bloomberg

May 18 (Bloomberg) -- The Senate voted to make English the ``national language'' of the U.S. as part of legislation overhauling immigration policy.

The measure, approved by a vote of 63-34, directs the government to ``preserve and enhance'' the role of English, without altering current laws that require some government documents and services be provided in other languages.

``I don't see how you can unify the United States of America unless we have a national language,'' Tennessee Republican Lamar Alexander said. ``English is part of our national identity. It's part of our spirit. It's part of our blood. It's part of who we are.''

More (http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10000103&sid=a_LjjNFU9gBY&refer=us)

Link to Roll Call vote (http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.c fm?congress=109&session=2&vote=00131)

Only one Republican voted against this. Is he yours?

[Terri]

<table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr class="standard"><td>Quote </td></tr><tr class="standard"><td class="QUOTE">[B]Senate passes competing English language amendments (http://www.rockymountainnew s.com/drmn/government/article/0,2777,DRMN_23906_47 09115,00.html)

The Senate approved two competing measures today that declare English as both the &quot;national language&quot; and the &quot;common and unifying language&quot; of the United States.
The votes followed a long afternoon of contentious debate in which Sen. Ken Salazar played a key role, warnng against &quot;language discrimination.&quot;

The Senate voted 63-34 in favor of an amendment by Sen. James Inhofe, R-Oka., which would would designate English the national language and require illegal immigrants to learn it and to learn American history before being put on a path to possible citizenship.

Moments later, the Senate voted 58-39 to approve an amendment by Salazar, D-Colorado, that would recognize English not as a national language but as the &quot;common and unifying language&quot; of the country.

More (http://www.rockymountainnew s.com/drmn/government/article/0,2777,DRMN_23906_47 09115,00.html)[/QUOTE]

Click the links in my signature and let your congressmen and senators know which amendment you want to stick.

Roll Call Vote (http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.c fm?congress=109&session=2&vote=00132)

Several Republicans voted to weaken the first amendment. I will call my idiot Democrat in the morning but I know it won't do anygood. However, I will enjoy speaking with his staff, as usual. http://www.gopusa.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/it.gif

[Sum1Lsezfault]

#1
<table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr class="standard"><td>Quote </td></tr><tr class="standard"><td class="QUOTE">The measure, approved by a vote of 63-34, directs the government to ``preserve and enhance'' the role of English, without altering current laws that require some government documents and services be provided in other languages.
[/QUOTE]

#2

<table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr class="standard"><td>Quote </td></tr><tr class="standard"><td class="QUOTE">Moments later, the Senate voted 58-39 to approve an amendment by Salazar, D-Colorado, that would recognize English not as a national language but as the &quot;common and unifying language&quot; of the country. [/QUOTE]

* They still think we're STUPID. *This is no change at all or no move forward. Documents and services need to go South with the illegals. *English has always been the common and unifying language . . . uh, well it used to be, maybe it's not anymore. *English as a second language??? Maybe they should pass a bill to at least recognize English as a language. http://www.gopusa.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

[Speedway]

Yellow-bellied chicken-livered RINOs!

What could possibly be wrong with having a national language.

It is NOT discrimination to not have documents in every language of the world. We couldn't keep up with the paper if we did!

[Luckyme]

Well, I wrote my senators asking them to support Senator Inhofe's English as a national language bill.

If that came to pass, then we could work on getting all legal documents written in English. This is a small step in the right direction.

[Original Rebel]

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They're all a bunch of idiots who think they are leading a bunch of idiots. I dunno, maybe we are. I emailed all three of my political pimps. The two Senators voted &quot;nay&quot;. And silly me, I thought Idaho was a conservative state.

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[messycan]

On this issue I do agree with all of you because according to the Bible on Genesis 11:7-9

The only thing needed is to confuse the language to stop a nation from making progress.

[RealDeal]

MOST EXCELLENT OBSERVATION!!! http://www.gopusa.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/clap.gif

[qrayjack]

&quot;You can't have it both ways,&quot; warned Sen. Jim Inhofe, R-Okla., a fan of &quot;national&quot; but not &quot;common and unifying.&quot; Two dozen senators disagreed and voted for both as the Senate lumbered toward an expected vote next week on a controversial immigration bill.

*You can't have it both ways except in the United States Senate. Expect an immigration bill that is equally equivocating and useless.

[jim verdolini]

The language vote was symbolic. The real vote of the night followed:

<table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr class="standard"><td>Quote </td></tr><tr class="standard"><td class="QUOTE">That vote, considered a defeat for immigration-rights advocates, was followed last night by an important victory: By 58 to 35, the Senate killed an amendment that would have blocked eventual citizenship for future immigrants who arrive under a temporary work permit. Democrats and Republicans agreed that the amendment would have destroyed the fragile, bipartisan coalition backing the Senate bill.[/QUOTE]

link (http://www.washingtonpost.c om/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/05/18/AR2006051800242.html ?referrer=email&referrer=email)

The real damage in this immigration bill is not in symbolic votes or a wishy-washy enforcement effort, or even in the amnesty...No, the real danger is in all the hidden provisions that wil allow tens of millions of new legal immigrants while doing very little to stop new illegals.

As near as I can figure the totals for new legal immigration after the amendments si far is between 60 and 12o million over the next 20 years, or the equivalent of the population of California, Oregon and Washington state combined...

A mere bagatell.

[The Victim]

In multi language countries, there are always disputes. I believe Sri Lanka has several languages on each money bill with attacks of one language group on another. Posting ballots etc. in several languages is a huge waste of taxpayers money. I am going to demand Pig Latin be one of the languages used out of respect for Congress. Hankyouta(thankyou).

[jim verdolini]

Another thing to worry about...I am hearing, though I have not read any text, that hidden in the bill is a new requirement that any judge sitting on an immigration review board MUST have served as an immigration attorney prior to this new post.

That means that everyone determing immigration legal matters will have served as an advocate for immigration.

Has anyone else read or seen anything on this?

[gfafblifr]

This i swhat I just sent Sen. Coleman. Being pressed for time, I'm sorry I wasn't more eloquent.

<table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr class="standard"><td>Quote </td></tr><tr class="standard"><td class="QUOTE">Well, after your disappointing vote on the illegal aliens issue, I now learn that you vote for English as a national language which I thought was a good thing. However, you turn right around and vote otherwise.

You tell me that you're against amnesty and then vote for it.
You vote for a national language and then vote against it.

Do you think we're stupid? You're beginning to look worse than John Kerry with the flip flops.

Perhaps you should look to the gopusa forum for what republicans really think of your and others actions. [/QUOTE]

[Thundercat505]

we need to have a national language or we will be languaged out of existence.

too much &quot;multi-culturism&quot; will be the death of us yet. if we don't have a vote on this and make it stick then pretty soon we will see a major uprising of illegals etc. who will want &quot;their&quot; language made our national language. need to beat them to the punch.

but with the idiots that we have in office that will vote for one thing and then turn around and vote for something that seems on the face to mean the same thing but they are too stupid to realize that it doesn't----well that doesn't speak too highly for the smarts that these people are &quot;supposed&quot; to have!!

[Michael Morelock]

This issue is so stupid! *Of course our national language is English..and it's up to anyone who aspires to become a citizen of this country to learn it. *No other country that I know of could be intimidated by a bunch of rag-tag illegal aliens to accept another language just because they(the illegals) don't have enough respect for the country they're invading to learn its language. *These arrogant swarms defy our laws...claim that no power can stop them from crossing..then cross over anyway to avail themselves of our taxpayer handouts! *Don't believe the crap about their willingness to do jobs that we won't...Americans can do, and do well, any job placed before them. Another thing...any child born to illegals in this country should NOT be automatically granted U.S. citizenship. This is a travesity, and no other country that I know of passes out citizenship papers and welfare benefits to lawbreaking line-crossers. *In spite of what say...we don't need them..go to the back of the line and wait your turn. *Get a congress and Senate with some backbone and quit selling out our country for a few votes. http://www.gopusa.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/rock.gif *http://www.gopusa.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/rock.gif

[pratt65]

Ted Kennedy, McCain, and Reid were the ones wanting the second amendment because they say English Only, or as our offical language is Racists . Reid talked about the &quot; poor Immigrants who worked for him and could Not speak a word of English.

Gee I hope they really get smart and vote Kennedy out in November.

[pratt65]

These bills still must go to the House, whom is hopefully still firm on Immigration enforcement. I keep writing congressmand, hopfully Delay will be there for these votes, he was firmly on the side of enforcement of the immigration laws, as well as HR 4437, Hr 4408 &amp; HR 698 http://www.gopusa.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/usflag22.gif

[Amawalk John]

Multi-language societies are hopeless. *Street signs, legal contracts, the conduct of court proceedings all cost more and become less clear because of all the multi-lingual requirements. *To repeat: the multiplicity of official languages does not clairify, it obfuscates.

Certain countries, like Belgium and Canada are multi-lingual to acommodate centuries old realities. *But to actually choose to become multilingual -- as some ethnically guilt-ridden legislators would do -- is a horrible mistake. *It is akin to acquiescing in advance to changing the rules of your poker game to adapt to whatever new rules and interpretations may brought to your table by each new player.

I've said it in this forum before, there is room for only two official languages in America: English, and English louder. Even with that, we have enough trouble with presidents who quibble over the meaning of such complex English words as &quot;is&quot;.

[bakedbones]

<table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr class="standard"><td>Quote </td></tr><tr class="standard"><td class="QUOTE"> Reid talked about the &quot; poor Immigrants who worked for him and could Not speak a word of English. [/QUOTE]

How nice of him to admit he hires immigrants. I would like to see some green cards, please! And if he's their employer, and refers to them as &quot;poor&quot;, why doesn't he give them raises?!

What are the penalties for employers who hire illegal immigrants, anyway? If he doesn't produce those green cards, can we bust him?! I would like the justice department to investigate the lot of them for any such practices, and prosecute any and all offenders to the fullest extent of the law!
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[GroovyLady]

whoa....i was under the impression people who have &quot;Guest Passes&quot; couldn't apply for citzenship. In fact, the ONLY reason I supported Bush's Guest Worker Program was because, according to the original proposal, they wouldn't be allowed to transition that as &quot;time served&quot; toward citizenship.

I've been had!!

Language is the one unifying element in all cultures. Especially where I live. How is someone who's native language is Cantonese suppose to communicate with someone whose native language is Spanish while they're both living in America?

Actually, Cantonese and Mandarin speaking Chinese communicate with each other in English in New York City because neither knows the other's language!! (and, then there's the Russians)

[boborich]

Also, in most foreign countries, English is the most learned second language. It is considered the language of international business world-wide. Yet, here in America, where it has been the primary tongue since our nations founding, it can only be looked upon as a sign of wrongs done long ago.
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