US lawmakers have passed a proposal that would require the federal government to purchase American flags that are 100% made in America.
The All-American Flag Act, introduced by Senators Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), was passed by the House of Representatives after passing the Senate in November 2023, and is now headed to President Joe Biden’s desk. Specifically, the bill would require U.S. federal government agencies to only purchase American flags manufactured in the United States and not import them from other countries, including China.
for example, press release From the Collins website: report In 2017 alone, the US imported “10 million American flags, including 50,000 from China.” Prime Minister Brown’s press release on the matter I got it. The federal government is currently only required to purchase U.S. flags made with only 50% American-made materials.
According to his press release, this means that “half of the materials used in the flags that fly on our nation’s military bases and other federal buildings could be made in China.”
of legislation read, To some extent:
Except as provided in subsections (b) through (d), funds appropriated or otherwise available to a Government agency may not be used for the procurement of a United States flag unless the United States flag is 100 percent produced in the United States from goods, materials, or supplies that are grown or 100 percent produced or manufactured in the United States.
The bill also states that the President may issue a waiver from the requirement “if the President determines that a waiver is necessary to comply with a trade agreement to which the United States is a party.”
“The American flag is a symbol of our identity, resolve and values as a nation. To respect its importance, the federal government should only use flags that are made entirely in the United States,” Collins said in a statement, adding that the bipartisan bill would “ensure our nation’s symbols are protected while supporting American jobs and manufacturing.”
Brown agreed, saying, “The American flag should be made in America, that’s all.”
“Thanks to the years of work we’ve done to pass this bill, American flags purchased by the federal government will be produced and manufactured in America, by American workers. The President must sign this bill into law without delay,” he added.
