Frank Lucas: “I rise to commend Chairman Solomon and the nearly 300 cosponsors, Republicans and Democrats, who recognize the…”

“I rise to commend Chairman Solomon and the nearly 300 cosponsors, Republicans and Democrats, who recognize the importance of protecting the American flag. It is downright repulsive that the very symbol of our freedoms and rights can be trampled upon under the guise of the first amendment. The flag is what soldiers salute every day, it is what we, as Members of Congress, address every morning when we recite the Pledge of Allegiance, it is what we hoist during military ceremonies, it is what we drape over the caskets of our fallen soldiers, and it is what we placed on the Moon in 1969 during one of the proudest moments of my life. To minimize the symbolism of what the flag represents is reprehensible. Congress should have the ability to protect the sanctity of the flag. The Supreme Court has ruled that physical desecration of the flag is protected by the first amendment to the Constitution. This is a mistake and the reason why we are here today. Congress cannot pass statutory language prohibiting physical desecration of the flag because of this ruling. I join an overwhelming majority of my colleagues in protesting this decision and protecting our flag. Our veterans, those who have fought to protect the freedoms we cherish, have asked that the flag that they fought for be protected. The Government should attach the same level of importance to the flag that we respect and treasure. This amendment is the right thing to do at the right time.”