What is the direct effect of the recent US Senate vote on official English?

[Lama_Pacos]

The US Senate voted recently to make English the United States’ official language-- this much I understand. But news accounts are very vague and confusing about what this actually means. Some say this now passes to the House for tweaking, some say it is a symbolic gesture that will not actually come into law, some imply the process is all done… Could someone explain the rest of this amendment’s life cycle? Is it in action now?

[Exapno_Mapcase]

Probably meaningless in the long run.

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/1153AP_Immigration_English.html

Despite the brouhaha the Senate has caused with its immigration bill, making English the “national language” of the United States will not change current laws, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales said Sunday.

Immigrants-rights advocates decried the Senate’s approval of the amendments to the bill last week, saying they could lead to a cutback in services for people who are not proficient in English.

But Gonzales, adding to his comments last week that the legislation was not necessary, said the Senate measure is purely symbolic.

“My reading of the language that was passed by the Senate is that these amendments would not have an effect on any existing rights currently provided under federal law,” said Gonzales, the nation’s top law enforcement officer.

The U.S. has never had an official language, and probably never will. Even the amendment itself refers to making English the “common and unifying language.”

States have made English the official language, but that has been unenforced posturing:

http://www.ocregister.com/ocregister/news/atoz/article_1150425.php

Last week’s debate in the U.S. Senate over declaring English to be the official language of the United States will probably turn out to be a big fat waste of time.

Because even if the amendment to the immigration reform bill succeeds and English is formally made our “national language,” chances are that politicians and government officials will simply ignore it.

Just like they do in California.

Many people aren’t aware of this, but English is by law the official language of this state – and it has been for 20 years, ever since California voters passed Proposition 63 in 1986. That amendment to the California Constitution clearly stated that “English is the official language of California” and directed the state Legislature to enforce that declaration “by appropriate legislation.”

…

So what has happened in the two decades since voters overwhelmingly made English California’s official language?

The answer is, absolutely nothing. The state Legislature passed no supporting legislation, and the state Attorney General’s Office later issued a ruling that the proposition was merely “advisory” in nature, and not binding on the state.

The amendment is part of the overall immigration bill, which the Senate has not finished debating or yet passed. If it does pass, it will go to a House-Senate conference to reconcile the enormous differences between the two bills. At that point the amendment could be scrapped, changed, or left as is. Then the bill would have to be signed by the President. If he does and it becomes law, then supporting legislation to enforce it would have to be passed. If the Attorney General won’t enforce it, little will happen no matter what.

Anything beyond this point, therefore, is pure political prognostication rather than an answer.