Should English be declared America's national language? A nation of immigrants considers the pros and cons of giving English official status.

• Author: Inhofe, James M.
• Position: DEBATE

YES English is the official language of 51 nations and 27 states in the United States. Last year, a Zogby International Poll found that 85 percent of Americans supported making English the official language of all government operations. Among Hispanics surveyed, 71 percent supported this idea. This is nothing new; many polls over the years have shown similar numbers.

Speaking English is a guaranteed way for new immigrants to succeed in school, increase their earning potential, and enhance their career options.

This nation decided long ago that you must know English to become a citizen. So there, is no reason to offer government services in foreign languages. In the same way that the Pledge of Allegiance and the National Anthem bring this nation together, English is something we share and should promote.

In 2001, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that Martha Sandoval, a Mexican immigrant who had lived in the U.S. for 10 years without learning English, could not sue Alabama because the state did not offer foreign-language driver's license tests.

Other federal courts have held that there's no right to foreign-language government forms, deportation notices, or civil service exams. There are 30 years' worth of cases like these.

Both the courts and America's citizens and immigrants have sent a clear message: We must unite our country behind our proud national language, help new immigrants advance by learning it, and save taxpayer dollars by making English our national language.

--Senator James M. Inhofe Republican of Oklahoma

NO English is our common language, but it is not the only language spoken in the United States. Making English the national language and relieving the government from its responsibility of providing non-English speakers with...