The law requires that flags purchased by the federal government must be made from 100% American-made materials.
This is something that should have been done a long time ago.
The House of Representatives on Monday National Flag ActThis bill would require that all American flags purchased by the federal government (i.e. with American taxpayer money) be produced and manufactured 100% in the U.S. This means that not only do the flags have to be assembled in the U.S., but all of the materials used in the flag must also be sourced in the U.S.
Surprisingly, this is not necessarily the case. Currently, the flag is Contains 50% domestically produced materials The U.S. government bans the export of flags in order for them to be purchased by the government, which not only undermines U.S. producers who can produce these materials domestically, but is also a humiliation for U.S. manufacturers who produce 100% American-made flags and a boon for importers.
According to a 2023 report by the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, the U.S. Importing $6.5 million worth of American flags in 2022Of these, 93% come from China.
“The American flag should be made in America, that’s all.” Said Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) introduced the bill in the Senate along with Sens. Susan Collins (R-Maine), Gary Peters (D-Mich.), and Joe Manchin (D-Ind.). The Senate passed the bill unanimously in November 2023.
“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,” Brown continued. “The president must sign this bill into law without delay.”
For President Biden, a strong supporter of “Made in America,” signing the bill would seem a no-brainer.
Congressional Budget Office (CBO) found The cost of implementing the National Flag Act would be “negligible,” CBO noted. In fact, CBO noted that “many vendors already comply with the bill’s requirements.” And several states have implemented the bill. The law is already in place State governments, including Arizona, Florida, Massachusetts, Maryland, Tennessee and Wisconsin, mandate that only fully American-made flags be purchased.
“The National Flag Act ensures that our nation’s greatest symbol, the American flag, is more than just a facade,” said AAM President Scott Paul. It said in a statement“This bill will ensure that every thread sewn into our ‘Star-Spangled Banner’ represents the hardworking men and women who built our country. There could be no greater patriotism than this.”
