Maine U.S. Senator Senator Collins introduced legislation, the All-American Flag Act, that has passed the House of Representatives and now heads to the President’s desk to be signed into law.
This bipartisan bill requires the government to only buy flags completely produced and manufactured in the United States. In 2017, the U.S. imported 10 million American flags including 50,000 from China. This bill passed the Senate on November 2, 2023.
Senator Collins said:
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. This bipartisan legislation would ensure that the symbol of our nation is preserved while supporting American jobs and manufacturers.
Currently, the federal government must buy flags that contain only 50 percent American-made materials. The All American Flag Act would require the government to buy flags that are produced entirely with American-made materials and manufactured completely in the United States. According to the U.S. Department of Commerce and U.S. Census Data, in 2015 the dollar value of U.S. imports of American flags was $4.4 million. Of that amount, $4 million of imported flags came from China. In 2017, the U.S. imported 10 million American flags. Of those, all but 50,000 came from China.
The full bill text is HERE.
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