Congressman Phil Gingrey (R-GA) was recognized this morning by U.S. English, Inc. for his dedication to preserving the unifying role of the English language in the United States. Rep. Gingrey 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 111th Congress.

“I am pleased to present this award to Rep. Gingrey 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. “At a time when there is renewed interest toward preserving what unites us as a nation, we are grateful to Rep. Gingrey for his dedicated and enthusiastic support of this issue.”

“A in English” honors were awarded to members who received “A” grades on the U.S. English, Inc. legislative scorecard for the 111th 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 Puerto Rican statehood and preventing the removal of an English language requirement for citizenship. A full listing of the votes and grades can be found at http://www.usenglish.org.

According to several recent nationwide polls, an overwhelming majority of Americans support making English the official language of the United States. A recent poll conducted by Rasmussen Reports found more than 87 percent of Americans in support of official English policies, with strong majorities among Republicans, Democrats and Independents.