English First: Bush Language Policy May Harm His Immigration Policy

[Harold F. Schiffman]

English First: Bush Language Policy May Harm His Immigration Policy
Wednesday August 9, 6:32 pm ET


SPRINGFIELD, Va., Aug. 9 /PRNewswire/ -- President Bush has left in place
a Clinton Executive Order which requires all recipients of federal funds
to function in anyone's choice of language for free. Unless President Bush
revokes Clinton Executive Order 13166, any federal program meant to help
impoverished Americans will find its money swallowed up by immigrants both
legal and illegal, according to Jim Boulet, Jr., Executive Director of
English First, a 150,000-member national advocacy group founded in 1986.
See http://www.englishfirst.org.

"The mandatory translations the Clinton Executive Order requires will send
medical costs into the stratosphere," Boulet said. "Studies show
professional interpreters make mistakes over 50% of the time, meaning E.O.
13166 would generate millions of malpractice lawsuits every year." Just
before the Senate adjourned for its August recess, Senator James Inhofe,
R-OK., introduced his National Language Act (S.3828). Senator Inhofe
warned the Bush Administration that its commitment to a more open
immigration policy was on a collision course with the enormous costs of
the Clinton Executive Order.

Quoting from the Congressional Record (August 3):

"If the Senate version of the President's immigration proposals should
become law, every guest worker and ever recipient of amnesty would arrive
on our shores as a little bundle of linguistic entitlements. Local
government offices and public schools will be simply overwhelmed by the
costly language mandates each of these individuals and their families will
trigger." Legislation to repeal the Clinton Executive Order has also been
introduced in the Senate by Dr. Tom Coburn, R-OK., and in the House by
Congressman Peter King, R-NY. Congressman King is also Chairman of the
House Committee on Homeland Security. Their bills are S.557 and H.R.136,
respectively.  President Clinton signed E.O. 13166 into law on August 11,
2000.

Source: English First
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