Sen. Cramer Co-leads Bill to Designate English as Official Language of the United States

Source: United States Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND)

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Kevin Cramer (R-ND) and JD Vance (R-OH) introduced the English Language Unity Act to establish English as the official language of the United States.

“Our Founding Fathers used English to create the most precious and fundamental document of all time,” said Senator Cramer. “Whether we are writing our nation’s laws, government documents, or other programs and policies, English has always been the go-to language to communicate with the American people. Establishing English as our national language is long overdue.”

“This commonsense legislation recognizes an inherent truth: English is the language of this country. That is why the overwhelming majority of the American people support this proposal,” said Senator Vance. “The English language has been a cornerstone of American culture for over 250 years. It is far past time for Congress to codify its place into law, which is exactly what this bill does.”

The bill would require the federal government to use English in commonsense circumstances, like when it acts with binding legal authority or conducts naturalization ceremonies. Importantly, this legislation does not widely limit the use of foreign languages, which are critical for official reasons related to national security, international relations, trade, tourism, public safety and health, and protecting victims’ rights, among others.

Click here for bill text.