Breaking: Senate voting on Inhofe amendment right now (update: passes 63-34)
posted at 5:29 pm on May 18, 2006 by Allahpundit
Share on Facebook | printer-friendly
On C-SPAN2. The amendment would make English the “national language” and require new citizens to pass an English proficiency test.
Results coming up.
Update: It passed. Can we trade this one for the Ensign amendment?
Update: They’re voting on the Salazar amendment now, which stipulates that those who don’t speak English won’t be punished.
Update: It passed 58-39. So after voting this afternoon to condone fraudulent participation in social security, they’ve tried to throw us a bone by passing a hortatory, largely symbolic gesture towards assimilation. I feel placated, don’t you?
Frist is promising more votes on amendments tonight.
Update: Now I feel placated:
Update: Voting results for the Inhofe and Salazar amendments will be posted soon. Follow the links.
Update: Reader Dave in WS notes that the INS webpage already lists English as a “general requirement” for naturalization.
You must be logged in to post a comment.
Blowback
Note from Hot Air management: This section is for comments from Hot Air's community of registered readers. Please don't assume that Hot Air management agrees with or otherwise endorses any particular comment just because we let it stand. A reminder: Anyone who fails to comply with our terms of use may lose their posting privilege.
Trackbacks/Pings
Trackback URL
Comments
Comment pages:
Si se puede . . .
MRegine on May 18, 2006 at 5:38 PM
WHAT???
Why make a law if there’s no reason to follow it (re. Salazar amendment)?
Punishment for not being able to pass the English proficiency test should be:
Back to the END of the line. I’m sure there’s a starving person somewhere willing to learn our language to get to be a citizen. My great grandma did it!
Freedom isn’t free! Learning English is a SMALL price to pay.
NTWR on May 18, 2006 at 5:39 PM
Vas is los?
clyde on May 18, 2006 at 5:39 PM
Heh. We all know how that one (Salazar) is going to come out.
Renee on May 18, 2006 at 5:40 PM
My Spanish teacher in high school told me I was a bigot for thinking (and saying) that people in America should speak English, and said that it was my responsibility, as an American, to learn the languages of the people who come here and may work with me (English comes last in this country then). And to her, that was the way because there is no official language of the United States. End. Of. Discussion.
I want to go back to my high school, find her, and say “End. Of. Discussion.”
ZRyan on May 18, 2006 at 5:47 PM
THIS is the one I hope passes:
Who wrote the Executive order for this one?
You should see how long the ballots are here in Kali with all the languages. This clip is courtesy of numbersusa.com.
NTWR on May 18, 2006 at 5:48 PM
How nice, English only.
Except some ACLU lawyer and ever willing courts will overturn this in 5 minutes after it passes, so it is meaningless, just like the Senate’s intention to secure the border.
This will not buy me off. The Social Security giveaway was the final straw.
My own senator, Senator Howdy-Dudy Dick Lugar has engaged in the final betrayal. At this point, I think I would vote for Satan himself before I vote for him, at least with Satan you know what you get up front.
But on the english issue, what difference does the senate bill make, is there not Court precendent that supercedes that which dictates that ballots, etc. must be in the person’s language? So what difference does this make. Smoke and mirrors, Bread and Circuses. Send in the clowns. Wait, they are already there.
cyberstoic on May 18, 2006 at 5:49 PM
Senator Salazar, du bist ein von geleckten Suppeknochen!
(Its the only clean insult I know in a foreign language, sorry its so mild.)
RH
RobertHuntingdon on May 18, 2006 at 5:49 PM
Do we have a break down of who voted which way on these amendments?
Renee on May 18, 2006 at 6:12 PM
Lincoln Chafee sitting in that big chair looks like he should have a glass of milk and a plate of cookies in front of him. I think there actually is an Etch-a-Sketch up there.
climacus on May 18, 2006 at 6:16 PM
Hard to believe – it’s nothing new that English hasn’t been mandatory in this country for a long time.
After immigrating here legally in 1976, I took the citizenship exam in 1982 and became a citizen in 1983.
The testing officer kept asking questions after questions on American History and Govenment, then who my Representatives, Senators and local leaders were…in the end he said something like “…thank you for making my working day – you speak English well and you don’t try to fake the answers, you actually know them…it is very rare”.
Sadly, today many immigrants don’t even try any more. Most Latino immigrants expect all of us to speak Spanish – they take it for granted that we have to.
We need a 3rd party in this country – there are enough sane people to form that majority and deprive both parties (which now don’t differ that much any more) of winning.
Michelle, go for it!
Entelechy on May 18, 2006 at 6:17 PM
Then I guess there will be a law now forcing those stupid phone call choices to companies that say “Press 1 for English, Press 2 for Spanish” be eliminated?
I won’t hold my breath.
WC on May 18, 2006 at 6:39 PM
Some in the senate obviously believe that most citizens are brainless dolts that can be dazzled and confused by their footwork and obfuscation. Unfortunately, for them, it’s not going to work. Either they close the borders and return the hoards of illegal foreign nationals that have invaded our country or they suffer the consequences at the polls.
rplat on May 18, 2006 at 6:51 PM
Actually, the brainless dolts are those IN the senate!
ForYourEdification on May 18, 2006 at 6:53 PM
I was rather amused to note that not ONE republican was stupid enough to vote “nay” on the Inhofe amendment. Check the vote list, the nays are ALL dhimmicrats (well plus one independant who might as well drop the charade since it’s so painfully obvious what he really is).
Guess the Senate Republicans aren’t *quite* as stupid as we thought. Pity they aren’t as smart as we’d like them to be.
RH
RobertHuntingdon on May 18, 2006 at 7:03 PM
Here is a sample of the test..
Where did you come from? Answer…Mexico
What is your name? Answer…Hugo Gonzalez, dude.
What is your mother’s name?…Maria Gonzalez
What is the name of this country? Answer…It is not Mexico
Who is our president…Answer..Fox?
OK, 4 out of 5, you are passed.
Easy87us
easy87us on May 18, 2006 at 7:04 PM
I finally got around to noticing the vote list on the Salazar one… note that once again the only ones smart enough to realize what a crock it was were Republicans. EVERY LAST nay was a Republican. Hmm. Maybe the problem isn’t the GOP. Maybe it’s just the RINOs that need to go.
RH
RobertHuntingdon on May 18, 2006 at 7:05 PM
Ooops, my goof, on Inhofe there was one RINO who voted nay (Domenici R-NM). Add him/her/it to the list of those that need to be removed ASAP.
RH
RobertHuntingdon on May 18, 2006 at 7:08 PM
Making laws that aren’t enforced/followed is why immigration is an issue to begin with.
Solution: more of the same laws.
Hoodlumman on May 18, 2006 at 7:26 PM
Yo quiero common sense.
speed647 on May 18, 2006 at 7:34 PM
I went to Chicago today to march in the anti-illegal march and we had about 50 people attending. Very disappointing! Of course, many of the people who would support us were working, but there are many retired people available and women who were busy shopping.
The Silent Majority had better stop being silent.
Margaret McC on May 18, 2006 at 7:43 PM
REPEAL THE 17TH
CAAAANNNNNN YYYYOOOOUUUUU DDIIIIIIGGGG IIIIIIIITTTTT ????
Kid from Brooklyn on May 18, 2006 at 8:30 PM
MIchael Dukakis–>Tank
GWB–>Border Dune Buggy
see-dubya on May 18, 2006 at 8:33 PM
WHAT DIFFERENCE DOES IT MAKE?
The way our legislaters are heading we will all have to learn Spanish sooner or later. It’s another symbolic gesture to ease the masses before the next shoe drops. Don’t you guys get it? Just learn this …Adios Estados Unidos De America….Y….Hola…Estados Unidos De Mexico…Wake up America, it’s happening….while you sleep…the country you knew is going to be gone for ever.
SparkyFD on May 18, 2006 at 8:38 PM
The irony of these debates today is that the pro-amnesty side is claiming we need this path to citizenship for illegals because of the strength of our economy and the strong demand it has created for laborers. I guess the MSM has too much foot in its mouth over the NSA fiasco to fit another foot for all their economy gloom & doom.
p0s3r on May 18, 2006 at 8:48 PM
How do you say ‘hoax’ in Spanish?
pat on May 18, 2006 at 8:57 PM
RobertHuntingdon:
EXCEPT on this particular issue, Pete Domenici has been a pretty strong conservative his entire political career. (I’ve known him personally since I was a kid.)
His mother was an illegal alien for a while (overstayed visa, if I remember correctly) and nearly deported when he was a child; So, he has his head firmly up his posterior on the illegal alien issue.
But other than that, mostly he is one of the strongest conservatives in the Senate.
LegendHasIt on May 18, 2006 at 9:07 PM
Marching is for show; where we have to act is at the ballot box. Vote for and support only those who support border enforcement. Those that link it to ‘comprehensive policy’ are trying to buy the fence with law-breaking forgiveness.
Has anyone asked the question; “And what if those 11 million don’t bother to pay the fines, learn English and go to the ‘back of the line’?? Without deportation, they have NO reason to!
Mike O on May 18, 2006 at 9:37 PM
I don’t know about repealing the 17th, but I may just be mad enough to attempt to run against my local GOP senator come 08.
E L Frederick on May 18, 2006 at 9:56 PM
Or did they?
http://www.breitbart.com/news/2006/05/18/D8HMGLG81.html
Senate Sends Mixed Signals on English
The Senate voted Thursday to make English the national language of the United States. Sort of.
Moments after the 63-34 vote, it decided to call the mother tongue a “common and unifying language.”
“You can’t have it both ways,” warned Sen. Jim Inhofe, R-Okla., a fan of “national” but not “common and unifying.” Two dozen senators disagreed and voted for both as the Senate lumbered toward an expected vote next week on a controversial immigration bill.
….
Democrats disputed that, and said the proposal would curtail rights established by an executive order President Clinton issued to extend language assistance to individuals not proficient in English.
Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid of Nevada went further. “I really believe this amendment is racist. I think it’s directed basically to people who speak Spanish.”
“It’s ridiculous,” Inhofe replied. “I don’t think people will buy into it.”
The Senate didn’t, including 11 Democrats who joined 53 Republicans to support the proposal.
Sen. Ken Salazar, D-Colo., advanced the alternative that declared English to be a “common and unifying language.”
It passed, 58-39, leaving the outcome of the symbolic debate uncertain.
——–
So which is it? English the national language, or just a “common and unifying language”?
Enoxo on May 18, 2006 at 10:10 PM
Do you realize that ONE THIRD OF THE UNITED STATES SENATE voted AGAINST this?
Strange times, children.
Labamigo on May 18, 2006 at 11:06 PM
Guest Worker Amnesty Passes Senate
by Mac Johnson
Posted May 18, 2006
The Senate last night passed President Bush’s disastrous guest worker amnesty by a strange 66 to 33 vote. A majority of Republican Senators (31) voted against the amnesty provision. The measure passed, however, when 24 Republicans joined with Democrats to overrule the will of the Republican majority. Only two Democrats voted against the amnesty.
The measure effectively grants amnesty to every illegal alien in the country.
http://www.humaneventsonline.com/article.php?id=14964
Federali on May 19, 2006 at 2:29 AM
I can not even believe that this issue even needs brought up. I mean come on shouldn’t English being our language be a given ? I just am in shock. Wow. Votes for English being our language should be a stait 100% votes all the way across. Ouch now I have a headache.
SugarnSpice on May 19, 2006 at 11:13 AM
Comment pages: