GOP Reps Poke Fun at Colleague After He Launches Into Spanish at English-Only Bill Hearing

Rep. John Conyers (D-Mich.) is not a fan of a GOP bill to declare English the official language of the United States -- so much so that he delivered his opening statement in Spanish during a committee hearing Thursday to voice his disapproval.

"Today, immigrants from Asia or Latin America are the targets of demonization and discrimination. One day, our nation will again look back on this period with shame and regret," Conyers told his fellow House Judiciary Committee members, according to a partial translation from Univision.

Rep. Trent Franks (R-Ariz.) said afterward Conyers' stunt actually "makes the case for this bill better than anything else."

“I would ask the gentleman in the interest of fairness here…would you repeat that in Yiddish and Vietnamese and French, as well,” Franks said. “Nothing would make the point better if we conducted all of our debates in different languages and I suppose that makes the case for this bill better than anything else."

Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa), the sponsor of the "English Language Unity Act," said he had planned to "start out with a Tower of Babble discussion, but I think I’ll pass on that. Mr. Conyers has perhaps made my point for me."

Watch below, via Talking Points Memo:

(h/t Talking Points Memo)