Amendment to H.R. 3093 … Commerce, Justice, Science Appropriations Bill  … English while on the job … Senator Lamar Alexander (R-TN) … to prohibit federal funds from being used by the EEOC to sue employers for requiring English on the job. The Alexander English amendment passed the Senate Appropriations Committee and was included in the final version that passed the Senate on October 16. When the House and the Senate met in a conference committee to reconcile their CJS bills, the House voted 218-186 (Roll Call 1076) to instruct the House conferees to agree with the Senate and keep the Alexander language.

Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD), and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) have ordered that negotiations be indefinitely halted because they oppose allowing the Alexander English amendment being included in the CJS bill when it is sent to President Bush. Outraged Hispanics leaders have won a promise from Speaker Nancy Pelosi that Alexander’s English-only provision will be killed. House-Senate negotiations on the underlying bill have been put off indefinitely. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has sued the Salvation Army because they believe requiring employees to speak English violates their civil rights. This amendment prevents the government EEOC from enforcing the rules against English-only workplaces. Congress never passed a law making it against the law for employers to require the use of English in the workplace.The rules have their origin in the 1964 Civil Rights Act.This amendment  would protect the right of business owners to require English on the job. Assimilation can’t take place if multiple languages are catered to by the government. Many interest groups are pressuring legislators to divide America by promoting other language use in the U.S. Businesses should not be worried they will be sued for requiring their employees to speak English on the job!