ProEnglish
News Release
March 13, 2001 (updated, May, 2007)
(Arlington,
VA) The head of ProEnglish, a national organization that supports
official English, denounced regulations issued last week by
the Department of the Treasury as yet one more example of multicultural
zealots seeking to impose their will on the American people
--- in blatant violation of democratic norms. For the first
time, the regulations single out and seek to invalidate state
official English laws (66 Fed. Reg., p.13829, Mar. 7, 2001).
The guidelines
were issued to implement Executive Order 13166, signed August
11, 2000, by President Clinton, that equated the inability of
non-English speaking persons to access government services with
"national origin discrimination" under Title VI of the 1964
Civil Rights Law. The sweeping order mandates that all
entities receiving any
form of federal assistance,
directly or indirectly, through a grant, contract, or subcontract
take immediate steps to begin providing "meaningful access"
to the services they provide to non-English speaking persons
on a par with the access provided by English speaking persons,
or face civil rights complaints and prosecution by federal bureaucrats.
"The
Treasury Department regulation are a classic example of Nanny
State 'Nurse Ratchets' run amok," commented ProEnglish executive
director, K.C. McAlpin. "Federal bureaucrats are attempting
to bypass Congress, pre-empt the Supreme Court, and override
democracy in twenty-six states that have made English their
official language, in an arrogant effort to transform America
into a multicultural Tower of Babel," he added. McAlpin cited
the Treasury regulations as another reason for Congress to move
expeditiously to pass H.R. 969, a bill introduced by Representative
Bob Stump (R-AZ) that would to rescind E.O. 13166. The bill
has already attracted thirty-two co-sponsors (for more information
see www.proenglish.org).
Mr. McAlpin is available for interviews on official English
and related issues. Call (703) 816-8821.
