Angus King: “For the first 180 years of our Nation, immigrants came to our shores knowing that they had to learn the English language…”

“For the first 180 years of our Nation, immigrants came to our shores knowing that they had to learn the English language to become part of the American mainstream. They maintained their own cultures, their own traditions, their own religion, their own beliefs, their own parades, their own festivals, but they were bound together by the English language. Unfortunately, in the past 45 years we have gotten away from that. We have bilingual education, bilingual voting, bilingual programs one on top of the other, which results in dividing us as a Nation, dividing us by language. Mr. Speaker, if we are to come together as a nation, if we are going to build bridges and reassert and reestablish that beautiful American mosaic, it is essential that this bill be adopted.”