All-American Flag Act introduced by Collins

Bipartisan legislation introduced on June 14 by U.S. Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) would require that the federal government only buy American flags completely produced and manufactured in the United States.

“The American flag serves as a symbol of our identity, resolve and values as one people. To honor its significance, the federal government should only use flags entirely manufactured in the United States,” Sen. Collins said. “This bipartisan legislation would ensure that the symbol of our nation is preserved while supporting American jobs and manufacturers.”

The All-American Flag Act, S. 4399, which is sponsored by U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH), would stipulate that funds appropriated or otherwise available to a federal agency may not be used for the procurement of any U.S. flag unless such flag has been 100 percent manufactured in the U.S. from articles, materials or supplies that have been grown or 100 percent produced or manufactured in America, according to the text of the bill.

Currently, the federal government may buy flags that contain 50 percent American-made materials, according to information provided by the lawmakers.

The U.S. Department of Commerce reports and U.S. Census Data shows that in 2015 the dollar value of U.S. imports of American flags was $4.4 million, with $4 million of that amount imported from China, according to the information, which adds that the U.S. in 2017 imported 10 million American flags, with all but 50,000 coming from China.

“American flags should be made in America, period,” said Sen. Brown. “Today, half of the materials that our women and men in uniform fight under can be made in China. We have to change that. We shouldn’t use taxpayer dollars to purchase American flags made overseas when American companies – and companies right here in Ohio – proudly produce the American flag.”