WASHINGTON, June 1 (UPI) -- The U.S. Senate may consider making English the "national" language, not the "common" language included in immigration reform legislation.
The proposal from Sen. James Inhofe, R-Okla., would reduce the government services provided in languages other than English, the Washington Times reported Friday.
"There is not an entitlement for language, other than the English language, to be given to people who want government services," Inhofe told the Times.
Many Democrats oppose the measure, which would lift President Bill Clinton's executive order encouraging government services to be delivered in different languages, and its fate as an amendment to the immigration bill was uncertain.
The immigration bill would require former illegal aliens to show they had applied to take an English class after four years with a visa. They would have to pass the English requirement on the citizenship exam before getting a green card.
