Ohio Sen. Vance proposes making English the official national language

Ohio Republican Sen. J.D. Vance on Thursday introduced legislation to make English the official language of the country.

The United States does not currently have an official language, though English is far and away the most widely spoken tongue. Vance's English Language Unity Act would require that government operations occur in English and impose an English language testing standard as a requirement for naturalization.

"Representatives of the Federal Government shall have an affirmative obligation to preserve and enhance the role of English as the official language of the Federal Government," the bill reads. "Such obligation shall include encouraging greater opportunities for individuals to learn the English language."

"This commonsense legislation recognizes an inherent truth: English is the language of this country. That is why the overwhelming majority of the American people support this proposal," Vance said in a press release. "The English language has been a cornerstone of American culture for over 250 years. It is far past time for Congress to codify its place into law, which is exactly what this bill does."

Vance noted that English is already the official language in 31 states and that most other countries have an official language. He further cited a Rasmussen poll from 2022 in which 78% of Americans supported making English the official language.

The Ohio Republican's bill would not impact teaching other languages.

Ben Whedon is an editor and reporter for Just the News. Follow him on Twitter.