Orrin Hatch: “At least the Senator is consistent because he opposes both the McConnell amendment and the flag amendment. Having made…”

“At least the Senator is consistent because he opposes both the McConnell amendment and the flag amendment. Having made that point, of the 36 Senators who voted for the McConnell 'statutory fix,' shall we call the proposal, 30 are opponents of the flag-protection amendment. These 30 Senators apparently believe that some flag desecration should be prohibited. Voting for McConnell makes their first amendment arguments a mockery. At least the distinguished Senator from Massachusetts is consistent, because the McConnell amendment says, one, that flag desecration on Federal land with a stolen flag should be prohibited; two, damaging a flag belonging to the United States will be prohibited; or three, desecrating a flag intending to promote violence should be prohibited. It reminds me of 1989 when a high percentage of Senators in this body, who claim to be against the constitutional amendment to prohibit desecration of our beloved flag, voted for the statutory anti-flag-desecration amendment. If first amendment rights hold with regard to this constitutional amendment, that it would violate first amendment rights, then why wouldn't it have violated first amendment rights with regard to any statute that would prohibit desecration?”