ELPAC Report January 2004

The ELPAC Report January 2004

Presidential Candidates
No Friends of English

None of the major candidates for President in 2004 including incumbent President George W. Bush support English.

"A bold statement," said ELPAC Executive Director Steve Workings, "but unfortunately true. We would love to endorse and support someone, but we can't." Workings pointed out that Bush refuses to rescind Clinton-era Executive Order 13166, which requires multi-lingual government. Bush has also expanded multi-lingual government requirements and services, and has appointed anti-English activists to important government positions.

"The best I can say," Workings noted,"is that the President has also nominated several persons for judgeships who have been helpful on English language issues."

Most of the candidates for the Democratic nomination simply ignore English language issues. The exceptions are uniformly anti-English:

Sen. John Edwards has called for an expansion of multi-lingual government. Edwards, who made millions as a plaintiff's lawyer, has also suggested that people who are denied government services in languages other than English should sue.

Cong. Richard Gephardt says that one of his accomplishments is that he "fought successfully against Republican efforts to pass 'English-only' legislation that would have required all official government business, such as printing of government publications and signs, be conducted strictly in English, eliminating any bilingual assistance written or oral to citizens desiring to vote."

Sen. Joe Lieberman attacks "English only proposals" as "divisive," but proposes an "American Dream Fund" which would help immigrants pay for English language instruction. "Instead of trying to take away parts of immigrants' native culture, Joe Lieberman believes we should affirmatively help new Americans learn English -- by widening access to effective educational programs." He hopes to fund the new program by asking former immigrants to "give back" to others.