Congress passed a bill last week requiring all American flags owned by the federal government to be manufactured fully in the United States rather than imported from foreign suppliers. The legislation, known as the “All-American Flag Act,” has successfully passed both the House and Senate, and is expected to head to President Joe Biden’s desk as soon as this week.
“The American flag serves as a symbol of our identity, resolve, and values as one people,” said Senator Susan Collins (R-MN), one of the bill’s primary backers in the Senate. “To honor its significance, the federal government should only use flags entirely manufactured in the United States.”
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Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) co-sponsored the bill in the Senate, and Rep. Eric Sorensen (D-IL) introduced the legislation to the House, where it received unanimous approval. Supporters of the bill argue that the new requirements have a tangible economic benefit as well as a symbolic one, providing a new market for American manufacturing jobs.
Current guidelines for manufacturing American flags allow for half of the materials to be produced outside the US. For years, most American flags have been imported from other countries, with 99.5% of the 10 million flags purchased in 2017 being shipped from China.
Connor Walcott is a staff writer for Valuetainment.com. Follow Connor on X and look for him on VT’s “The Unusual Suspects.”
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