Rep. John Conyers Protests, In Spanish, Rep. Steve King’s English Only Law

It was supposed to be all Steve King's stage today. But Conyers wasn't going to let him get away with it.

By Julianne Hing Aug 02, 2012

Michigan Rep. John Conyers responded to Iowa Rep. Steve King’s absurd anti-immigrant congressional shenanigans today with a showy statement of his own today. King had convened a House Judiciary Committee hearing to unveil the latest version of his English Language Unity Act, a bill which would mandate English-only government documents and services. The bill would make English the official language of the U.S., something that’s already true in practice but not codified in law. "The Judiciary Committee hearing … reflects the need to get a vote on the floor of the House of Representatives on this popular issue- 87 percent of Americans say that English should be the official language of the United States," King said in a press release last week. King’s been trying to get a version of this law passed since 2003. But today, Conyers stole back some of the spotlight by opening his remarks with a few words in Spanish. [Univision](http://univisionnews.tumblr.com/post/28560366901/congressman-speaks-spanish-against-english-only-bill)’s Jordan Fabian offered a transcription and a translation: > "Hoy en día, los inmigrantes de Asia o América Latina son los objetivos de la demonización y la discriminación," he said. "Un día, nuestro país mirará hacia atrás a este período con vergüenza y arrepentimiento." > (Translation: Today, immigrants from Asia or Latin America are the targets of demonization and discrimination. One day, our nation will again look back on this period with shame and regret.)