May 8, 2008 

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Bill Sali was recognized at the U.S. Capitol this morning by U.S. English, Inc. for his dedication to preserving the unifying role of the English language in the United States. Sali was one of a select number of House members honored with an “A in English” award based on his votes and co-sponsorships of official English legislation in the 110th Congress.

 “I am pleased to present this award to Rep. Sali for his efforts to unite our diverse nation under the common language of English,” said Mauro E. Mujica, Chairman of the Board of U.S. English, Inc. “Rep. Sali has actively reflected the viewpoints of his constitutents regarding official English legislation. At a time when there is renewed interest toward preserving what unites us as a nation, we are grateful to Rep. Sali for his dedicated and enthusiastic support of this issue.”

“Across this nation of great diversity, one of the things that binds us together has largely been the ability to communicate in English.  Today, more than ever, national unity is important.  A shared language is a key factor in achieving this goal.” said Sali.

“A in English” honors were awarded to members who received “A” grades on the U.S. English, Inc. legislative scorecard for the 110th Congress. Legislation that factored into the decision included co-sponsorship of H.R. 997, the English Language Unity Act, as well as a series of Congressional votes on reducing multilingualism in government and allowing employers the flexibility to enact English-in-the-Workplace policies.

Sali is also working on legislation that would require temporary workers in this country for an extended period of time to have a basic understanding of conversational English and American Civics.

According to several recent nationwide polls, an overwhelming majority of Americans support making English the official language of the United States. Polls conducted by Zogby International, the Winston Group and Rasmussen Reports have all found more than 80 percent of Americans in support of official English policies, with strong majorities among Republicans, Democrats and Independents.