Steve King

If I got to a foreign country, as Mr. Forbes said, and if I were going to live there, I do not really want help in the English language because it does not encourage me to adopt the language that I might be operating within.

I cannot tell you today that it is designed to override it.

I think we are comfortable this addresses only the Federal Government and does not direct the States in their functions.

We address the official functions of government, the official business of the Federal Government.

Provided that it is not a Federal function, yes, an official Federal function.

It addresses Federal functions and activities, not State functions and activities.

I think we would agree in this Constitution Subcommittee that it is a bit redundant to even have this language in here.

Yes. And that is the intent.

It is not my specific intent to target that particular component.

Well, the Voting Rights Act puts the obligations on the States, and this bill applies to and binds the Federal Government.

Your bill would not impact the Voting Rights Act

The more multiple languages we offer as a government, the less likely people are to learn English

The immigrants that come here expect that we have English as the official language.

It is just the simplest common sense to understand that this is unifying. It is not dividing.

The official version would be in English. That is common form of communications currency.

This bill does not go in and amend any components of the Voting Rights Act.

This is an economic opportunity to encourage people to learn English.

Thank God English is the common language in this country. It has bound us together. We need to make it the official language...

Other countries saw the wisdom in this, and here in the United States we have not been able to get there.

They expect to arrive in a country that has an official language.

Language, a common language, is the most powerful unifying force known throughout history.

It is important to say English is the official language.

I came here to become an American, and that means learning and speaking English.

If the Storm Lake policy chief wanted to post signs in 5 languages, he would be allowed to do as long as one of the languages included English.

I believe the time has come for America to join the other 56 countries who have made English their official language.