Mel Martinez Defends Gonzalez in Spanish on Senate Floor

St. Petersburg Times ^ | February 3, 2005 | WES ALLISON

[kjfpolitical]

WASHINGTON - Florida Sen. Mel Martinez, the first Cuban-American elected to the U.S. Senate, on Wednesday apparently marked another first: delivering the first Spanish speech on the Senate floor.

Martinez, a Republican from Orlando, was speaking in favor of President Bush's nomination of White House counsel Alberto Gonzales as the new U.S. attorney general. Gonzales, a Mexican-American, would be the first Hispanic to hold that post.

After praising Gonzales in English as a qualified public servant and a role model for Hispanic-Americans, Martinez switched to Spanish and addressed all "those who came to America to create a better life."

"Judge Gonzales is one of us," he said in Spanish. "He represents all of our hopes and dreams for our children. Let us acknowledge the importance of this moment, for especially our youth.

"We cannot allow petty politicking to deny us this moment that fills us all with such pride."

It was the new senator's first floor speech since he was sworn in last month, and it came during Republican debate on Gonzales' nomination, to a mostly empty chamber. Martinez sought permission to use Spanish beforehand, then gave the English translation for the Congressional Record.

Senate Majority Whip Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, one of a handful of Republican leaders there to hear it, congratulated Martinez when he finished. "I'm sure that this is not only the first time we've had a bilingual first speech in the Senate ... (but) you could not have picked a more important topic," McConnell said.

The Senate is expected to confirm Gonzales' appointment today, despite opposition from many Senate Democrats who say he once advised the Bush administration that torture may not always be unlawful.

Kerry Feehery, Martinez's press secretary, said the senator used Spanish to underscore the importance of Gonzales' nomination to Hispanic-Americans. "It's a historic moment for the Hispanic community and we shouldn't lose sight of the barriers it's breaking," she said.

While Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, whose wife is from Mexico, and President Bush frequently speak Spanish to connect with Hispanic audiences and potential voters, Martinez's speech appears unprecedented in the Senate.

Associate Senate historian Don Ritchie said the Senate has had several other Hispanic members, "but we don't have anything in our files that indicates that either of them ever used Spanish in their speeches on the floor."

Last year, former U.S. Sen. Tom Daschle, D-S.D., used a Native American language when introducing a bill, and guest chaplains have said prayers in both Chippewa and Sioux, he said. In the 19th century, senators frequently used Latin phrases but never delivered speeches in Latin.

Ritchie said it is difficult to know exactly what has been said over the past 200 years: Remarks delivered in a foreign language generally don't show up in the official proceedings, simply because those who record the floor debates can't transcribe them.

In place of Martinez's Spanish remarks Wednesday, the unofficial transcript says simply, "Speaking in Spanish."

Univision, the Spanish-language TV network, and CNN en Espanol carried the morning speech live, as did C-SPAN. Feehery said she doubts Martinez will give many bilingual speeches on the Senate floor, "but if it's an important issue to the Hispanic-American community, both in Florida and nationwide, he will."

[ClintonBeGone]

Florida Sen. Mel Martinez, the first Cuban-American elected to the U.S. Senate, on Wednesday apparently marked another first: delivering the first Spanish speech on the Senate floor.

Spanish on the Senate floor?? This is sure to drive the Tancretoids nuts.

[isthisnickcool]

Bush better nominate someone who speaks French so John kerry has something to do.

[SF Republican]

Viva Bush

[cyncooper]

Here'a an article about your good Senator.

:)

[cyncooper]

In place of Martinez's Spanish remarks Wednesday, the unofficial transcript says simply, "Speaking in Spanish."

In this day and age that is absolute nonsense. There is no reason his exact remarks cannot be transcribed and included in the record. Hopefully the official record will do so.

[olde north church]

It's a tough call but ultimately a bad sign.
I couldn't prove it, but I'd read once or twice before that German almost became the official language of the USA.
There is also the history of the American Southwest, Spanish-American War Islands and Florida with the history of Spanish but assimilation took care of most of it.

[NonValueAdded]

Indeed, Viva Bush and Viva Mel! What a difference from our last Senator from Florida.

[isthisnickcool]

In this day and age that is absolute nonsense. There is no reason his exact remarks cannot be transcribed and included in the record. Hopefully the official record will do so.

If they can edit out all the times Hillary Clinton says "you know" they can certainly translate from Spanish to English. In fact, it should be less time consuming.

[sully777]

Spanish on the Senate floor?? This is sure to drive the Tancretoids nuts.

---

?

[lugsoul]

Holy pandering, Batman!

[SolidSupplySide]

Spanish on the Senate floor?? This is sure to drive the Tancretoids nuts.

Yeah, there are a lot of xenophobes on FR.

[NetValue]

For the benefit of our hyphenated Americans it looks like we need to state in law that our official language is English.

[ChefKeith]

Florida Sen. Mel Martinez

You are in America, SPEAK ENGLISH!!!

[Soul Seeker]

he's reaching out to the Hispanic Community. This will be repeated on Spanish channels without need of translation. The Dems are harming themselves by blocking this man.

[olde north church]

Correction/edit on statement re: German Language America:
The myth that German almost became the official language of the United States persists even today.  Although the notion was widely spread by German travel authors of the 1840s, the vote never came to the congressional floor.  Colonial leaders had no tolerance for the German language.  During the war of 1812, only 9% of the U.S. population was German.  Officials ignored German-language farmers in Virginia who petitioned the House of Representatives in 1794 for a German translation of a law booklet.  More often than not, the idea reigned that the “faster they became Americans, the better,” and that meant speaking English. 
Most Germans sought economic prosperity, which required the ability to communicate with other Americans.  While bi-lingual schools existed through the early 20th century, the German language still was heard less and less.  By World War I, many communities had banned the teaching of German.
http://www.germany-info.org/relaunch/culture/ger_americans/paper.html
With respect,
onc

[kjfpolitical]

More importantly, this will drive the Democrats nuts! I was told THEIR new hispanic-american senator (Ken Salazar) doesn't speak spanish very well. Mel Martinez will allow us to continue bringing more hispanic Americans into the conservative/Republican party ranks.

It also makes the libs look like idiots for blocking a supremely qualified AG nominee. don't think this won't hurt them further with hispanic voters...

[stainlessbanner]

The Spanish just lent Florida to the US for a few years. Now they are taking it back.

[kjfpolitical]

The vast majority of his speech was in English. He spoke three sentences in Spanish to communicate to our growing Hispanic-American community. His speech was carried live on Telemundo and CNN Espanol. This is good for conservatives. We should be glad to have a spokesman who speaks perfect English AND can reach out to this voting bloc. He also sends a message that in order to succeed in America, you still need to learn English!