Feb 15, 2020 - Politics & Policy

AP: Klobuchar takes "strong position against" English as national language of the U.S.

In this picture, Amy Klobuchar listens while sitting and wearing a suit jacket

Photo: Alex Wong/Getty Images

Sen. Amy Klobuchar said she has "taken a strong position against" the U.S. adopting an English-language amendment, while promoting her plans for immigration reform on Friday in Las Vegas, AP reports.

Why it matters: After campaigning in Iowa and New Hampshire, two predominantly white states, Klobuchar's next electoral test is in Nevada, a state with a critical Hispanic constituency.

  • Klobuchar had a strong showing in New Hampshire, trailing close on the heels of former Mayor Pete Buttigieg and Sen. Bernie Sanders.
  • But Sanders "has transformed his outreach to Hispanic voters" compared to his 2016 presidential run, by "hiring high-level Latino advisers, beefing up Spanish-speaking canvassing and digging deep into Latino neighborhoods to find voters open to his populist message," the New York Times reports.

Flashback: Klobuchar and 16 other Democrats voted in 2007 in favor of an amendment that would reverse an executive order requiring federal agencies to release materials in other languages besides English, per AP.

What to watch: The next Democratic debate will be held in Las Vegas on Feb. 19.

Go deeper: The first-time Latino voters

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