REP. EMERSON PUSHES AGAINST TREND OF MULTILINGUAL GOVERNMENT IN U.S.

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- As the longtime sponsor of H.R. 123, the "Language of Government Act," 8th District U.S. Rep. Bill Emerson warned a House appropriations subcommittee this week of a "dangerous trend" toward multilingual government.

Emerson stressed that Congress should work to make English the "official" language of the federal government, rather than condone efforts in the opposite direction.

"The bill simply states that English is the language in which all official U.S. government business will be conducted. H.R. 123 says that the government has an affirmative obligation to promote the English language -- elevating that goal to official capacity," said Emerson, in testimony before the Commerce, State Justice and the Judiciary Subcommittee.

"We do not need a fullscale multilingual government. But, if we do not address this issue in a forward-thinking, proactive manner, that is just what we are going to have allowed to develop."

Funding levels for the Immigration and Naturalization Service were being considered at the hearing. Emerson cited several examples of where the federal government was a conduit to multilingualism.

He referred to an INS American citizenship swearing-in ceremony conducted in Spanish, and more recently, when the IRS published and sent out for the first time tax forms in Spanish and established a special taxpayer assistance hotline number in Spanish.

"I believe these actions set a dangerous precedent by singling out Spanish-speaking citizens to receive special treatment by the U.S. government, not to mention the potential cost to taxpayers," Emerson told the panel.

"English is the landguage of inclusion in this country ... the English language is our common bond. All official U.S. government business should be conducted in English."

Emerson added, "America is an open society -- more open than any other in the world. People of every race, of every color, of every culture are welcomed here to create a new life for themselves and their families. And what do these people who enter into the American mainstream have in common? English, our shared, common language."