The White House on Friday voiced support for legislation passed by the US Senate making English the national language of the United States.

"The president has said that one of the things you want to make sure (of) is that, ... at the end of a path for people who wish to become American citizens, ... they have a command of the English language," White House spokesman Tony Snow told reporters.

The measure, introduced by Republican Senator James Inhofe, was approved Thursday by a vote of 63-34.

The bill to make English the US "national language" replaced one Inhofe had originally drafted, calling for English to be the "official language" of the United States. He made the wording change to garner more support for his bill.

A Democratic amendment introduced by Senator Ken Salazar in the hopes of siphoning off support for Inhofe's bill also passed Thursday, saying that the US government "shall preserve and enhance the role of English as the common and unifying language of America." That legislation passed by a 58-39 vote.

Snow said that President George W. Bush likes both measures.

"I think that both of these amendments are consistent" with the president's wishes, he said.

The debate on English is part of a broader consideration this week of immigration reform.

On Monday, Bush unveiled a plan that proposes placing as many as 6,000 National Guard troops along the southern US border and creating a "guest worker" program for some of the estimated 11.5 million undocumented migrants living in the United States, among other measures.

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