Two senators – a Democrat and a Republican – are sponsoring a bill that would require the federal government to buy flags made in America with 100 percent American materials.
US. Sens. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, and Susan Collins, R-Maine, introduced the legislation, dubbed the All-American Flag Act.
Currently, the federal government is only required to buy flags made from 50 percent American materials, according to Brown's office.
“American tax dollars should go to American-made products that support American jobs, especially when the product is a symbol of our nation,” Brown said. “We need to produce the symbol of our country in a way that supports American jobs and American manufacturers.”
Brown has often told a story about how he buys his suits from a place that employs union workers and is made “seven miles” from his house. Like flags, it has become difficult to find fully American-made suits anymore “because we’ve had a stupid trade policy,” Brown said.
In a statement, Collins said the "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," the statement read. "This bipartisan legislation will ensure that the symbol of our nation is preserved while supporting American jobs and manufacturers."
– The Cox Media Group National Content Desk contributed to this report.
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