Legislation is being introduced that would make English the official language of the United States.
The bill's sponsor, Ohio Republican JD Vance, called it "commonsense legislation," saying it "recognizes an inherent truth: English is the language of this country."
"That is why the overwhelming majority of the American people support this proposal," Sen. Vance said in a statement. "The English language has been a cornerstone of American culture for over 250 years. It is far past time for Congress to codify its place into law, which is exactly what this bill does."
The English Language Unity Act would require government functions to be conducted in English, and would introduce an English language test for immigrants to become naturalized as citizens.
The legislation would apply to all laws, public proceedings, regulations, publications, orders, actions, programs and policies.
The bill would not apply to the teaching of languages, requirements under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, communication necessary for national security, international relations, trade, tourism or commerce, communication relating to public health and safety, the Census, actions that protect the rights of victims of crimes or criminal defendants or terms of art or phrases from languages other than English.
English is already the official language of 31 states and all U.S. territories, Vance pointed out. He also cited a Rasmussen poll from May 2022 that found 78% of American adults agreed English should be the official language of the U.S.
With few exceptions, the vast majority of nations legally recognize national language, including Germany, France, Spain, Italy, Sweden, Brazil and Denmark, Vance added.
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