Congress Passes Bipartisan All-American Flag Act

Is that American flag flying over the Capitol entirely Made in America? Under current law, flags purchased by the federal government can contain materials that are made abroad. Getty Images

The legislation requires that flags purchased by the federal government must be made from 100% American-made materials.

This is one of those things that should have been done a long time ago.

The House of Representatives on Monday passed the All-American Flag Act, a bill to require that American flags purchased by the federal government - so you know, with U.S. taxpayer dollars - are 100% produced and manufactured in the United States. That means that not only do the flags need to be assembled in the United States, but all of the materials that go into them need to be sourced domestically, too.

Shockingly, that's not always the case. Right now, flags only need to contain 50% domestic materials in order for the government to purchase them. Not only does that undermine U.S. producers who are able to produce these materials domestically, it also is a slap in the face to U.S. makers who produce 100% Made in America flags - and a boon to importers.

A 2023 Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee report found that the United States imported $6.5 million worth of American flags in 2022, with 93% of them coming from China.

"American flags should be made in America, period," said Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), who introduced the bill in the Senate alongside Sens. Susan Collins (R-Maine), Gary Peters (D-Mich.), and Joe Manchin (I-W. Va.). The Senate unanimously passed the bill in November 2023.

"Now, because of our years of effort to pass this bill, American flags the federal government buys will be produced and manufactured in America, by American workers," Brown continued. "The President needs to sign this bill into law without delay."

It really seems like signing this bill should be a no-brainer for President Biden, who has been a strong proponent of Made in America.

The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) found that the cost of implementing the All-American Flag Act "would be insignificant." Indeed, the CBO noted that "many vendors already meet the bill's requirements." And several states already have laws on the books requiring that their governments buy only fully Made in USA flags, including Arizona, Florida, Massachusetts, Maryland, Tennessee, and Wisconsin.

"The All-American Flag Act ensures that our country's greatest symbol, the American flag, is more than just for show," AAM President Scott Paul said in a statement. "This bill will guarantee that every thread stitched into our 'Stars and Stripes' will represent the hardworking men and women who have built our country. There's nothing more patriotic than that."

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