Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) last night won his amendment to the Homeland Security Appropriations Act that would block funding to implement an executive order on foreign language services.
Executive Order 13166, signed by President Clinton in 2000, states that any entity which receives federal funds must provide any services it offers in any foreign language spoken by anyone likely to receive those services.
“The Department of Homeland Security should be spending hard earned tax dollars on programs to help keep our country safe, not to promote foreign languages within the United States,” said King.
His amendment passed 224-289. The appropriations bill passed 234-182.
“Providing language assistance services to Limited English Proficiency (LEP) individuals is both costly and unnecessary,” the conservative congressman said. “This is precisely why we need to pass my bill, H.R. 997, the English Language Unity Act, which would provide consistency among all Americans and unite our country.”
Join the conversation as a VIP Member