Conservative bloggers invited Rep. Steve King (R.-Iowa) to our weekly meeting today to discuss ways to advance his Voting Rights Act amendment to end the federal government's foreign-language ballot mandate.

King provided background information about the amendment, which has the support of at least 167 members (including 79 who signed a letter to GOP leaders), but could be blocked from a vote on the House floor by Republican leaders working in conjunction with the House Rules Committee. A decision is expected Wednesday.

About a dozen bloggers attended the meeting to get an update from King on what the amendment would do and why he's pressing so hard for a vote. In short, King said his amendment would remove the unfunded federal mandate that requires localities to provide foreign-language ballots. King would rather put that decision in the hands of state and local governments.

Standing in his way are House GOP leaders, several of whom voted against a similar amendment from Rep. Cliff Stearns (R.-Fla.) last month. Voting against the Stearns amendment were: Majority Leader John Boehner (R.-Ohio), Majority Whip Roy Blunt (R.-Mo.), Judiciary Chairman James Sensenbrenner (R.-Wis.) and Government Reform Chairman Tom Davis (R.-Va.).

(Despite Blunt's vote against the Stearns amendment, he told me the next day, June 29, that he opposed it because it was attached to an appropriations bill rather than the Voting Rights Act, leaving open the possibility that he might support King's amendment.)

We need your help getting the message out not only to these GOP leaders, but also to members of the House Rules Committee. If your congressman hasn't signed King's letter or voted against the Stearns amendment, call the Capitol switchboard at (202) 224-3121 or send your congressman an e-mail voicing your support for King's amendment.

The HUMAN EVENTS editorial board came out today in favor of King's amendment. And following today's meeting with bloggers, King made the following statement explaining the importance of his measure:

The permanent VRA was passed in 1965 to ensure blacks were not denied their right to vote. A natural successor to the 1964 Civil Rights Act, it outlawed tests and taxes to determine who could vote and helped the right to vote be realized in practice for black Americans. Today, this group has more representation than ever with 41 Members of Congress and everybody has the benefit of full participation in the political process. However, today it has extra language requiring voting materials to be printed in foreign languages even though immigrants must prove they know English in order to become citizens. This week the House is poised to renew this foreign language ballot mandate for another twenty-five years, or until the year 2032.

These provisions require ballots to be printed in any language, encouraging linguistic division and cracking the Melting Pot that makes us the most successful multi-ethnic nation on earth. Further, they insult generations of immigrants who, with great effort, learned English in order to become naturalized citizens. If we want to demolish modern-day obstacles and bring all backgrounds into our voting process to communicate with each other, we must unify the country instead of driving a wedge between cultures.

We are a nation that assimilates new immigrants from all parts of the world. The American dream means you are the driver of your own destiny, and you can work hard to be successful. For generations immigrants have understood that learning English is essential to fully realizing the American dream. However, foreign language ballots divide our country, increase the risk of voter error and fraud and burden taxpayers currently mandated by the federal government.

Removing the federal mandate will simply give localities back the power to decide if they want to print ballots in foreign languages. In addition, voters who need language assistance are already permitted, under current law, to bring an interpreter of their choice into the voting booth. Every citizen deserves to cast an informed ballot, and this is the right approach for voters who have difficulty understanding voting materials in English.

UPDATE -- 11:18 p.m.: The American Spectator's Quin Hillyer wrote an excellent piece about the problems with the Voting Rights Act. Check it out.