"Seventh District Rep. Eric I. Cantor, R-Henrico County, said Tuesday that he does not favor a fellow Virginia Republican’s bill to establish English as the official language of the United States.

“I just think that a constitutional amendment is probably not in order,” Cantor told reporters when asked about the legislation sponsored by 5th District Rep. Virgil H. Goode Jr., R-Rocky Mount.

Goode introduced the bill April 29 to amend the constitution by adding the following three sentences: “The English language shall be the official language of the United States. As the official language, the English language shall be used for all public acts including every order, resolution, vote and election, and for all records and judicial proceedings of the government of the United States and the governments of the several states. The Congress and the states shall enforce this article by appropriate legislation.”

Cantor, who is in a House GOP leadership position as chief deputy majority whip, said he believes that Goode “is trying to make it so that every document is in English” and no other language.

“I would not be in favor of putting that in the Constitution,” Cantor said. The need to amend the Constitution “is so rare,” he said.

Goode said later Tuesday that he favors either a law or a constitutional amendment to make English the official language. A constitutional amendment would be much more difficult for some future Congress to try to overturn, he said.

“If you want to have a cohesive nation, it’s better to have one common language,” Goode said. “I think you are going to run the risk in the future of having multi-language road signs.”

Cantor began a series of monthly conference calls from Washington with reporters Tuesday by noting, “Obviously, this city remains riveted on what’s going on in the Senate hearings” on the abuse of prisoners in Iraq.

He called the behavior at Abu Ghraib prison west of Baghdad “the acts of a handful of prison guards who have been perpetrating this horrible abuse” and said it can be best corrected for Iraqis through investigation and action “to make sure it does not happen again.”

Cantor, chairman of the House Taskforce on Terrorism and Unconventional Warfare, blasted what he said were recent statements by a pair of House Democrats that under current conditions the war in Iraq is unwinnable. He said that sends a terrible message to soldiers serving in Iraq.

“For Congressman [John P.] Murtha and Nancy Pelosi to say this war is unwinnable under the current state of affairs is irresponsible,” Cantor said.

The evidence and allegations of prisoner abuse “are being dealt with. Action is being taken,” Cantor said. “I certainly hope we are working toward a smooth transition” to Iraqi sovereignty on June 30. “It is by no means going to be an easy task.”

Cantor, 40 and serving his second term from Virginia’s highest Republican-performing district, said he hopes to visit Iraq.

His 7th District stretches from Richmond and its suburbs north and west to Culpeper County and includes the counties of Louisa, Madison and Orange.

Cantor said the House and Senate still must settle differences between their separate versions of highway spending bills. The House favors a $283 billion highway bill and the Senate wants a $318 billion bill, both of which are bigger than the original bill to spend $256 billion submitted by President Bush, he said.

He said he maintains his opposition to allowing Americans to buy their prescription drugs from Canada.

There is no guarantee the imported drugs would be safe, Cantor asserted. Importing under “a false price control level” set by Canada’s government also would deny money needed for research by American drug companies, he said." (Bob Gibson, The Daily Progress, May 12, 2004)

Contact Bob Gibson at (434) 978-7243 or bgibson@dailyprogress.com.