McGovern: House GOP Confederate Flag Amendment “Stunning”

“House Republicans Tried to Sneak Confederate Flag Into This Bill, Hoping No One Would Notice. We Noticed.”

Washington, DC, July 9, 2015

Congressman Jim McGovern (MA-02), a senior House Democrat, led today’s floor debate for House Democrats on H.R. 6, the 21st Century Cures Act and called out House Republicans for their amendment to allow the Confederate flag to be displayed in National Parks and cemeteries run by the National Park Service.

Excerpts from Congressman McGovern’s floor speech today:

“Americans are ready to leave behind the discrimination and hate symbolized by the Confederate flag, but my friends on the other side of the aisle seem to have a different idea. Last night House Republicans introduced an amendment to the Interior Appropriations bill that simply has no place on the House floor.

“House Republicans tried to sneak this amendment into the bill late last night, hoping no one would notice. We noticed. The American people noticed and I am ashamed that in 2015, Congress would even consider a measure that seeks to perpetuate the hate and racism that the Confederate flag represents.

“Congress should not promote this symbol of hate. Now is a time for us to come together. I am proud to join my colleagues who are standing up today for all Americans united against hate.”

The full text of Congressman McGovern’s floor speech is below. Full video here.

As Prepared for delivery:

“I thank the gentleman from Texas, Mr. Burgess, for yielding me the customary 30 minutes and I ask unanimous consent to revise and extend my remarks and I yield myself such time as I may consume. Before I speak on this bill, I want to thank Leader Pelosi for leading today’s efforts to hold House Republicans accountable for their divisive Confederate flag amendment.

“It is stunning to me that my Republican friends decided to refer the Democratic Leader’s resolution to committee so that we could not have a debate. The legislature in South Carolina could have a debate, but my Republican friends in Congress ensured that we could not have that debate.

“The fact is, Americans are ready to leave behind the discrimination and hate symbolized by the Confederate flag, but my friends on the other side of the aisle seem to have a different idea.

“Last night House Republicans introduced an amendment to the Interior Appropriations bill that simply has no place on this House floor. It would undo the successful Democratic amendments adopted by voice that would have barred the display of Confederate flags in federal cemeteries and barred the National Park Service from doing business with gift shops that sell Confederate flag merchandise.

“Simply put, while South Carolina voted this week to take the Confederate flag down, Republicans in Congress were ready to put it back up.

“Even more troubling, House Republicans tried to sneak this amendment into the bill late last night, hoping no one would notice. We noticed.

“The American people noticed and I am ashamed that in 2015, Congress would even consider a measure that seeks to perpetuate the hate and racism that the Confederate flag represents.

“Now my friends on the other side of the aisle, especially the leadership, seem to be in disarray.  

“The Speaker of the House is trying to distance himself from the measure, notwithstanding that the Republican Chairman of the House Appropriations Interior Subcommittee who offered the amendment said that he did so at the request of leadership.

“The Confederate flag is a symbol of racism and a reminder of one of our nation’s darkest periods of division. It has no place in America’s National Parks.

“Congress should not promote this symbol of hate. Now is a time to come together and I am proud to join my colleagues who are standing up today for all Americans united against hate.

“I just want to say one final thing. The fact that the Interior Appropriations bill was pulled from consideration on this House floor by my Republican friends because they believed that without this pro-confederate flag amendment that they could lose up to 100 of their own members, is stunning to me.

“It never ceases to amaze me. Just when I think this institution can’t sink any lower, then something like this happens. And so I would urge my colleagues to stand with me and vote against the previous question so we can actually have this debate. A debate I think the American people would like to have.”

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