Frank Pallone: “I consider this legislation basically an insult to the English language and also un-American because basically it…”

“I consider this legislation basically an insult to the English language and also un-American because basically it violates free speech and also discourages diversity, which I think is a hallmark of our American tradition. The legislation has nothing to do with protecting the English language. English is a wonderful language that has survived for years in various places. To think that the language of Shakespeare has to have government help to survive. How ironic that our Republican friends on the other side want to use government involvement to preserve the English language, which is why I think it is an insult to the language. I consider it un-American because the legislation only has two purposes: first, to make it difficult for government to communicate with its citizens; and, second, to discourage the use of other languages. Contrary to whatever my colleagues might say on the other side, that is the real purpose of this bill. Mr. Chairman, when I say making it difficult for government to communicate with citizens, why is it that in my office that I cannot hand out a brochure on this bill in another language? I have people that come into my office that speak Spanish, Italian, various Indian dialects, a whole panoply, really, of people that speak various languages. I should be able to speak to them, write to them, communicate with them however I please, in any language that helps them if they are citizens, which they are.”