Wyoming’s congressional delegation is welcoming President Donald Trump’s Saturday executive order designating English as the nation’s official language.
“President Trump has done something that should’ve been done years ago,” Republican U.S. Sen. Cynthia Lummis told Cowboy State Daily on Monday. “I’m proud that English is now the official language in our country.”
Lummis’s fellow U.S. senator from Wyoming, Republican Whip John Barrasso, echoed her remarks.
“English is the language necessary for anyone who wishes to succeed in America,” Barrasso told Cowboy State Daily. “It has been used as our common language since our founding. All of our nation’s historic documents are written in English.
“It is well past the time for English to be declared our official language.”
Michael Pearlman, a spokesman for Wyoming Republican Gov. Mark Gordon, did not provide Cowboy State Daily a statement from the governor or say where Gordon stands.
But Pearlman said in an email that, “The governor notes that English is already the official language in Wyoming under statute 8-6-101.”
He added that he believes the Wyoming law was passed in 1996.
Sources vary slightly on the precise number of states with statutes declaring English as their official language. The figure appears to be 30 or close to it.
Trump’s order, criticized by a leading civil rights group for Hispanics, appears to be largely symbolic. It explicitly does not require federal agencies to change anything they do currently, such as produce documents or offer services in multiple languages.
But it does open the door to possible changes ordered by agency heads as they see fit.
U.S. Rep. Harriet Hageman said she's impressed at how much Trump is getting done and how quickly.
“President Trump continues to take quick and decisive action to bring common sense back to governance. English has been our national language since our founding and President Trump has ensured that endures," she said.
Text Of Order
“A nationally designated language is at the core of a unified and cohesive society, and the United States is strengthened by a citizenry that can freely exchange ideas in one shared language,” Trump’s order says. “In welcoming new Americans, a policy of encouraging the learning and adoption of our national language will make the United States a shared home and empower new citizens to achieve the American dream.”
It says English as the official language will be good for businesses and the economy. It also says it will help create ties to America for immigrants.
“Speaking English not only opens doors economically, but it helps newcomers engage in their communities, participate in national traditions, and give back to our society,” the order says. “This order recognizes and celebrates the long tradition of multilingual American citizens who have learned English and passed it to their children for generations to come.”
Trump's designation revokes an executive order issued by then-President Bill Clinton in 2000 but appears to minimize the impact of the revocation:
“Executive Order 13166 of Aug. 11, 2000 (Improving Access to Services for Persons with Limited English Proficiency), is hereby revoked; nothing in this order, however, requires or directs any change in the services provided by any agency.”
Trump’s order adds: “Agency heads should make decisions as they deem necessary to fulfill their respective agencies’ mission and efficiently provide Government services to the American people.
“Agency heads are not required to amend, remove or otherwise stop production of documents, products, or other services prepared or offered in languages other than English.”
Opposition
After English, Spanish is by far the most spoken language in the country. The U.S. Census Bureau in a 2022 report said Spanish is spoken in 12 times as many U.S. homes as the next four most common non-English languages combined.
The League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), which calls itself “the nation's oldest and largest Latino civil rights organization,” criticized Trump’s order.
“This unprecedented action directly contradicts the founding principles of our nation,” the Washington, D.C.-based advocacy group said in a press release. “It marginalizes millions of Americans who are contributing to the country's cultural and economic strength.”
LULAC maintains chapters in many states, though Wyoming does not have one.
Another major civil group for Hispanics, UnidosUS, did not reply to a Cowboy State Daily email seeking comment.
According to the Census Bureau, 350 languages are spoken in U.S. homes.
