Janice Schakowsky: “So I have heard that the Republicans have pulled their Interior Appropriations bill from the floor, and I sure hope it…”

“So I have heard that the Republicans have pulled their Interior Appropriations bill from the floor, and I sure hope it is because they have reconsidered their support for flying the Confederate battle flag, overturning an earlier decision of this very body by unanimous voice vote to take it down. Last night, unbelievably, unforgivably, House Republicans acted to uphold the Confederate battle flag at the very moment that South Carolina was voting to take it down. House Republicans surreptitiously rushed to have National Park Service continue to sell this symbol of hate and to keep the Confederate flag flying on Federal lands. Even worse, House Republicans tried to cloak this shady move by wrapping it in language about our American flag and the MIA-POW flag-- how dare they. Sears, Amazon, and many other retailers have stopped selling that symbol of hate, and that is what a Republican State Representative in South Carolina tearfully called it. It is astonishing that the Republicans are so out of touch. We cannot allow this shameful decision to hold. Take down the flag. ____________________”