There’s an active group of Americans who believe that English should be made the official language in the United States. Congress has taken up the issue a number of times.
This session, House Bill 997 seeks to make English the official language and to ensure that all official federal business is conducted in English.
A Chicago-area congressman–U.S. Rep. Bill Lipinski–is a co-sponsor of the legislation.
A spokesman said Lipinski believes that establishing English as the language will “encourage non-English-speaking citizens and give them an incentive to learn English.”
“It’s not about dropping cultural heritage or having to leave some culture behind, but it’s a step to better assimilate to American culture,” Lipinski spokesman Ryan Quinn said.
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Edited by Lara Weber (lweber@tribune.com) and Michael Morgan (mnmorgan@tribune.com)
