[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 119 (Thursday, September 13, 2001)]
[House]
[Pages H5595-H5598]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   EXPRESSING SENSE OF CONGRESS THAT EVERY CITIZEN IS ENCOURAGED TO 
                            DISPLAY THE FLAG

  Mrs. EMERSON. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that it be in 
order at any time to consider in the House the concurrent resolution 
(H. Con. Res. 225) expressing the sense of the Congress that, as a 
symbol of solidarity following the terrorist attacks on the United 
States on September 11, 2001, every United States citizen is encouraged 
to display the flag of the United States; that the concurrent 
resolution be considered as read for amendment; and that the previous 
question be considered as ordered on the concurrent resolution to final 
adoption without intervening motion, except 1 hour of debate equally 
divided and controlled by myself and the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. 
Skelton) or a designee, and one motion to recommit.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. LaTourette). Is there objection to the 
request of the gentlewoman from Missouri?
  There was no objection.
  Mrs. EMERSON. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to the unanimous consent request 
just agreed to, I call up the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 225) 
expressing the sense of the Congress that, as a symbol of solidarity 
following the terrorist attacks on the United States on September 11, 
2001, every United States citizen is encouraged to display the flag of 
the United States, and ask for its immediate consideration.
  The Clerk read the title of the concurrent resolution.
  The text of H. Con. Res 225 is as follows:

                            H. Con. Res. 225

       Whereas on September 11, 2001, terrorists hijacked and 
     destroyed four commercial aircraft, crashing two of them into 
     the World Trade Center in New York City, and crashing another 
     aircraft into the Pentagon outside Washington, D.C.; and
       Whereas thousands of innocent people were killed and 
     injured as a result of those attacks, including the 
     passengers and crew of the four aircraft, workers and 
     visitors in the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, rescue 
     workers, and bystanders: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate 
     concurring), That it is the sense of the Congress that--
       (1) in response to the terrorist attacks on the United 
     States on September 11, 2001, United States citizens should 
     join together to defend and honor the Nation and its symbols 
     of strength; and
       (2) for a period of 30 days after the date on which this 
     resolution is agreed to, each United States citizen and every 
     community in the Nation is encouraged to display the flag of 
     the United States at homes, places of work and business, 
     public buildings, and places of worship to remember those 
     individuals who have been lost and to show the solidarity, 
     resolve, and strength of the Nation.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the order of the House of today, 
the gentlewoman from Missouri (Mrs. Emerson) and the gentleman from 
Missouri (Mr. Skelton) each will control 30 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from Missouri (Mrs. Emerson).
  Mrs. EMERSON. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, it is with a very heavy heart that I ask this resolution 
be brought today to the House floor.
  No one will ever forget what happened to this great country on 
September 11, 2001. As a Nation, we speak with one loud, strong and 
determined voice in solidarity. We must rise up from this horrific act 
and rally together as Americans, regardless of race, creed or religion. 
I can think of no better rallying tool to demonstrate that unity than 
the American flag.
  The American flag has long been a symbol of freedom for our country, 
but we are well aware that this freedom has always come with a price. 
Be it the price paid by our soldiers who died defending the freedoms of 
our great Nation or those involved in this week's tragedy, the 
sacrifices for freedom, for democracy and for peace must never be 
forgotten.
  For that reason, the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Hastert), the 
gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Gephardt), the gentleman from Missouri 
(Mr. Skelton) and I have introduced this resolution, the solidarity 
flag resolution.
  This resolution calls upon each and every American in every community 
throughout this great Nation to demonstrate their unity for our country 
by flying our flag, our most enduring and visible symbol of freedom, at 
home, at businesses, schools, and places of worship for 30 days. That 
demonstration of unity requires communities to join together at city 
councils and school board meetings and civic organizations and in State 
legislatures, to hold Old Glory high and proud, and to show the world 
that liberty, justice and courage live on in America.
  Mr. Speaker, we have an unbreakable and unwavering and unshakable 
spirit in this country and we have an enduring commitment to the 
preservation of freedom and democracy. No act of terrorism will ever be 
able to break that.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. SKELTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, first let me congratulate and thank the gentlewoman from 
Missouri (Mrs. Emerson), for pioneering this resolution. I have a 
special thanks to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Hastert) and to the 
gentleman

[[Page H5596]]

from Missouri (Mr. Gephardt), the minority leader. It is a pleasure and 
an honor to cosponsor this with my colleagues.
  Mr. Speaker, this resolution is one that will have hopefully a 
healing power for Americans, one that asks each American to renew his 
or her allegiance to our country.
  Every day when we come into this Chamber, we pledge allegiance to the 
flag. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America. 
Of course, we are also led in a prayer by the Chaplain. This flag 
symbolizes so much. It has reflected so much goodness and greatness 
through the years, that in times of stress and sorrow we feel a special 
need and obligation to rally around it. That is the purpose of this 
resolution.
  This flag was originally flown in a different form, of course, by 
those in the Revolution, down through the years, the War of 1812, out 
of which came the story of the poem, later put to music which we now 
sing as the Star Spangled Banner. Down through the years of the 
challenges and conflicts our country has sustained, our flag has flown 
high over this free and wonderful land. This is America. This is the 
history of the American flag. In this past century, we have led with 
this flag in fighting tyranny, not once but twice.
  We now refer to those episodes as the First World War and the Second 
World War. Since that time, freedom has been challenged and the 
American flag has held the way. Consequently, it is up to us today in 
this very troubling, difficult time for us, as Americans, to rally 
around the American flag once more. If nothing else comes out of all of 
this sadness and turmoil, maybe, Mr. Speaker, there will be an added 
appreciation for young men and young women who wear the American 
uniform.
  It is they who protect the rights and freedoms of our country and all 
that the American flag stands for. Our young men and young women are in 
various camps and posts, not just here in our country, but in far-flung 
parts of this world, bringing stability, bringing peace, and the 
American flag is leading the way.
  Cicero, the great Roman orator, once said that gratitude is the 
greatest of all virtues, and this is an opportunity for us as Americans 
as we fly this flag to remember those Americans, both in New York and 
those who were wearing the uniform at the Pentagon, who paid such a 
terrible price for being Americans.
  So let us show appreciation for our country, especially for those 
young men and women who wear the uniforms of the United States of 
America.
  A number of years ago, the famous folk singer Johnny Cash wrote a 
ballad entitled the ``Ragged Old Flag.'' I wish to repeat that today as 
a reminder of the history of our country and the flag that has flown so 
proudly over our land.
  As Johnny Cash penned it, ``I walked through a county courthouse 
square; on a park bench an old man was sitting there. I said, your old 
courthouse is kinda run down. And he said, no, it will do for our 
little town.
  ``I said, your old flag pole has leaned a little bit and that's a 
ragged old flag you got hanging on it.
  ``He said, have a seat, and I sat down.
  ``Is this the first time you have been to our little town? I said, I 
think it is. And he said, I don't like to brag but we're kinda proud of 
that old ragged flag.
  ``You see, we got a little hole in that flag there, when Washington 
took it across the Delaware.

                              {time}  1030

  And it got powder burns the night that Francis Scott Key sat watching 
and writing, ``Say Can You See?''
  And it got a bad rip in New Orleans, with Packingham and Jackson 
tuggin' at its seams.
  And it almost fell at the Alamo beside the Texas flag, but she waved 
on through.
  She got cut with a sword at Chancellorsville, and she got cut again 
at Shiloh Hill.
  There was Robert E. Lee, Beauregard, and Bragg; and the South wind 
blew hard on that ragged old flag.
  On Flanders Field in World War I, she got a big hole from a Bertha 
gun. She turned blood red in World War II, she hung limp and low a time 
or two.
  She was in Korea and Vietnam. She went where she was sent by her 
Uncle Sam.
  She waved from our ships upon the briny foam, and now they have about 
quit waving her back here at home.
  This old flag is wearing thin, but she's in good shape for the shape 
she's in.
  So we raise her up every morning, and we take her down every night.
  We don't let her touch the ground, and we fold her up just right.
  On second thought, I do like to brag, 'cause I'm mighty proud of that 
ragged old flag.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mrs. EMERSON. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. 
I have always loved that song of Johnny Cash, because it so symbolizes 
the importance of our American flag.
  The Speaker today in our conference mentioned something that happened 
yesterday as he was driving along Rock Creek Parkway and saw an old 
veteran waving an American flag back and forth, back and forth, for 
hours on end because the man was there when they left to go and he was 
there when they returned back to the Capitol. It also reminds me of the 
time when my late husband Bill had just died and we were driving to the 
cemetery in Hillsboro and along the way was an old veteran standing on 
a hill with his military hat on, waving a flag. It was tattered and it 
was old. My children just gripped my hand and said, ``Oh, Mom, look.'' 
And that so symbolized what is right and what is great about our 
country.
  Mr. Speaker, there are no words to describe the sorrow and the 
heartache, the tragedy that has rocked our Nation over the past several 
days. We really have been cut to the core and been left shocked and 
numb and grappling with one question that cannot be answered, the 
question that my children, who are 19 and 23, and all of my 
stepchildren ask me, ``Why has this happened?'' But I think that in 
spite of the despicable horror we have seen, America does remain the 
world's shining beacon of freedom and democracy, and that freedom lives 
on in our hearts and in our actions and in our most enduring symbol of 
all, the American flag.
  Dr. Stephen Ambrose, who is, as we all know, a noted historian, once 
said, ``In World War II, the biggest army ever assembled was not 
German, Russian, nor indirectly American. The biggest and greatest army 
ever assembled was an aroused democracy.'' Let each of us as an aroused 
citizen of this democracy show our solidarity as a Nation by flying the 
Stars and Stripes from every flagpole, every home, every business, and 
school in this great country.
  Mr. Speaker, if I might paraphrase Dr. Martin Luther King: as 
Americans, we must let freedom ring. We must let freedom ring, from 
coast to coast and border to border by flying our flag and showing the 
rest of the world our star-spangled banner still waves, over the land 
of the free, and the home of the brave.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. SKELTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from 
California (Ms. Lofgren).
  Ms. LOFGREN. Mr. Speaker, I heartily support the matter before us 
today and join with my colleagues in urging its swift passage.
  Here on Thursday in the Capitol, we are busy at work doing the things 
that need to be done for our Nation. We are meeting with the 
appropriate officials in the executive branch, both intelligence, 
military, and law enforcement. The executive branch is doing its job so 
that the proper response can be taken, both in terms of the military 
might of our Nation and also in terms of law enforcement to find the 
perpetrators, those who are America's enemies and those who have 
supported America's enemies. Law enforcement and rescue personnel are 
at work.
  But the American people want to do something in addition to what 
their government is doing. And I think actually that this important 
show of American solidarity will be an inspiration not just to all of 
us here in the United States but to people around the world, who are 
already in awe of the solidarity and the unity of the American people.
  We are the most diverse Nation on the face of the Earth. We come, or 
our parents do, from every part of the world. Yet we have something in 
common. We become Americans through

[[Page H5597]]

our idealism, through our love of this country, through our dedication 
to liberty and the Constitution, and to our loyalty to each other. 
Flying the American flag is a symbol, but symbols do count.
  I have actually been flying my flag at home in San Jose since 
Tuesday. My children went out with our flag to fly it Tuesday night, we 
talked on the phone, and my neighbors have done the same. So this is 
happening spontaneously. I think it is a wonderful thing that the 
Congress is recognizing the desire of the American people to step 
forward with a specific symbol, our wonderful flag, to show our unity 
today.
  I would ask a further thing. Not every American has a flag handy, so 
let us call upon the flag makers of the country and the retailers of 
the country to make extra special efforts to have flags available so 
that Americans can take this step and make sure that every loyal, 
patriotic American has the opportunity to make the statement by flying 
their flag. I thank the author of the bill, and I thank the gentlewoman 
from Missouri (Mrs. Emerson) for their leadership on this matter.
  Mr. SKELTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  The tragic attacks on Americans took place on Tuesday, September 11, 
in New York and here in the Washington area at the Pentagon, the seat 
of the military of our country. The following evening, the gentleman 
from Arizona (Mr. Stump), who is chairman of the Committee on Armed 
Services and I, as the ranking member, went to the Pentagon for a 
briefing that we received from three admirals. And then we went around 
to the west side of the Pentagon where the crews were working, still 
putting out the fires and to try to find any survivors. Then the next 
day, in that very spot of disaster, a garrison-sized American flag was 
draped on the side of the Pentagon, an American flag, that said we are 
still here, the military of our country is still in business, and we 
are Americans. So I compliment those that sent that message to the 
world at the Pentagon of the United States.
  It was during the War of 1812, Mr. Speaker, that an occurrence took 
place in the Baltimore harbor. At that time there were a number of 
British ships anchored in harbor with a good number of British troops 
thereon and a doctor had been taken captive by the British military and 
held aboard one of the ships. He was a noncombatant but they thought he 
was; and one of his friends, a young lawyer, rode out to the ship and 
asked that he be released so he could go back and tend his patients in 
the city of Baltimore. The British admiral said, yes, you may take your 
friend, but not now, not until tomorrow. And then he pointed toward 
Fort McHenry which guards that harbor, and he pointed to the American 
flag of the day. And he said, You see that flag? It will not be flying 
there tomorrow, but the British Union Jack will be flying, for tonight 
we will attack Fort McHenry and the British will take it.
  All night long, this young lawyer and his doctor friend watched from 
the British ship while the rockets glared and the bombardment occurred 
over the ramparts of Fort McHenry, and from time to time they could see 
amidst the burst the American flag was flying. The following morning, 
the sun rose, the battle had ended, and the American flag still stood, 
for the American forces had repulsed successfully the British attack on 
Fort McHenry and they had won that battle.
  True to his word, the British admiral did turn the doctor loose and 
his lawyer friend, and he went back by row boat to Baltimore. The young 
lawyer was so moved that he penned a poem that was later put to the 
music of a drinking song of the day; and that poem, written by the 
young lawyer named Francis Scott Key, is today the national anthem of 
our country. What we learned from that episode and from that poem and 
song tells us that we still are the grandest civilization ever known in 
the history of mankind, and that this American flag still flies, though 
we have detractors and those who would attack us.
  So let us, in compliance with the suggestion and urging of this 
resolution, as Americans fly our flags, let us fly them for 30 days, 
and let children know as well as all other Americans what this country 
stands for, and that we shall not be daunted, that we as Americans will 
remain great and free.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mrs. EMERSON. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  I want to thank my good friend and colleague the gentleman from 
Missouri (Mr. Skelton) as well as our leaders, the gentleman from 
Missouri (Mr. Gephardt) and the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Hastert), 
for sponsoring this resolution with us.

                              {time}  1045

  Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman 
from Texas (Mr. Baca).
  Mr. BACA. Mr. Speaker, I stand in support of this resolution.
  Mr. Speaker, I think it is important that we demonstrate to America 
that we do have the flag. I know that this weekend is very critical to 
many of us Mexican Americans, to Hispanics. We are going to be 
celebrating the 16th of September. But I think in honor of what 
happened, I think it would be important for all of us as we begin to 
celebrate the 16th of September that we carry the flag and show the 
flag.
  I know that in my district we have Route 66, where over 80,000 people 
will be participating. I encouraged yesterday in a memo that each and 
every one who is participating display the flag. It is important that 
we do that, for what it stands for as a symbol.
  We have got to realize that many of our veterans have fought for this 
country, for the freedoms that we enjoy today, and it is the symbol of 
that flag that was carried by many individuals who were willing to give 
of their lives.
  Yes, it happened once again on September 11. Many individuals died. I 
think we have a responsibility to this country, we have a 
responsibility to those individuals, to demonstrate that we are a 
strong Nation, that we will not tolerate what happened; and we will 
demonstrate our unity and solidarity in carrying the flag that we are 
so proud of as Americans.
  Mr. Speaker, I encourage everyone to display the flag. Some of us 
have already begun to display it in our offices, us Members and others, 
in our homes; and hopefully we will have the flag flown throughout the 
Nation.
  So I support the resolution. I think it is important for all of us to 
do this.
  Mrs. EMERSON. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the 
gentleman from Texas (Mr. Green).
  Mr. GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from Missouri 
for yielding me time.
  Mr. Speaker, I think this is a good effort. Again, we are seeing the 
people in this country take the lead on this. In fact, I just talked to 
my district offices, and they are amazed in Houston how many people are 
taking their own initiative, not just here in Washington, but all 
across the country.
  I think Congress needs to encourage that, because, again, we are all 
in this together, Democrats and Republicans, urban and rural, North and 
South. The thing that brings us together is we are Americans.
  Mrs. EMERSON. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, again I would like to thank our colleagues and all of us 
and the many, many colleagues on both sides of the aisle who have been 
original cosponsors of this resolution.
  It is so important; and so many of our constituents around the 
country have asked us what can we do, what can we do to show our unity 
and to show our strength of purpose, other than to give blood, for 
example, or to work or volunteer in search and rescue missions.
  We have said that flying the flag, our great and unwavering symbol of 
freedom, would be something that all of us could do together. It is for 
that reason that we sponsored this resolution. It is something that the 
American people all understand.
  So that we might honor those brave souls who lost their lives in New 
York, at the Pentagon or in the fields of Pennsylvania, let us honor 
them by flying our flags for the next 30 days from every village, from 
every school, from every home across this great Nation.
  Ms. ESHOO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Con Res. 225 a 
resolution expressing the sense of the Congress that, as a symbol of 
solidarity following the terrorist attacks on the United States on 
September 11, 2001, every citizen is encouraged to display the flag of 
the United States.

[[Page H5598]]

  It's vital that our nation be united as never before as we emerge 
from these terrible events. The symbol of our unity is our flag. I urge 
every business and home to raise their flags high in support of the 
victims and their families of this atrocity. By doing so, each of us 
will send a signal to the world that as a nation we will not be 
deterred by the vicious attack, and we will move through this together 
strengthening each other.
  I thank the sponsors of this resolution.
  Mr. FORBES. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this resolution 
encouraging our citizens and communities to show their support for the 
victims of our most recent and most vicious national tragedy by 
displaying our Nation's most recognizable symbol of freedom, the 
American flag.
  The terrorist attack earlier this week has brought us together as a 
nation. From the smallest communities in our country to our nation's 
largest cities, Americans have shown their love and respect for one 
another in many different ways. By giving blood and sending donations, 
our nation's people have once again proven why we are the greatest 
nation on the face of this Earth.
  I am extremely proud to join the members of this legislative body in 
asking each of our constituents to display the American flag over the 
course of the next month. Our unity in flying our nation's flag at our 
homes, in our businesses, in our communities, and where we worship will 
be yet one more way to show the entire world that we are one nation, 
stronger than we have ever been.
  The lives of all United States citizens will be greatly altered 
because of this national tragedy. We stand here today encouraging 
American flags be flown in remembrance of those whose lives were lost 
to show both unity and strength in our nation. Terrorists may be able 
to destroy airplanes and buildings, but they will never be able to 
destroy the spirit of the American people. God Bless America.
  Mr. HASTERT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to share my grief and sorrow 
with the victims and the families of Tuesday's tragedies in New York, 
Washington and Western Pennsylvania.
  As a nation, we must stand strong together to denounce these cowardly 
acts of War against our people, our nation, and our civilization. As a 
united people, we must show our colors to those with sinister hearts 
and minds throughout the world that we will not be deterred.
  As Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, I am proud 
to join Minority Leader (Dick) Gephardt, Mrs. (Jo Ann) Emerson, and Mr. 
(Ike) Skelton on this resolution urging our fellow Americans to fly the 
American flag for the next thirty days outside their homes, their 
businesses, public buildings, and places of worship. By doing so, we 
provide a physical tribute from coast-to-coast and around the globe in 
memory of those we lost and to show publicly our solidarity, resolve 
and strength as a Nation that these terrorist actions will not stand.
  I know that ever since Tuesday morning our lives and our nation have 
been changed forever. And from that time forward, many Americans have 
asked how they can help. No matter where you live, by flying Old Glory 
on the Main Streets of Geneva, Illinois and Rolla, Missouri to big 
cities like Seattle, Washington and Miami, Florida, you will be sending 
a strong signal to millions of people here at home and abroad that the 
red, white and blue represents freedom and democracy and those ideals 
will live on.
  Mrs. EMERSON. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. LaTourette). All time for debate has 
expired.
  Pursuant to the order of the House today, the concurrent resolution 
is considered as having been read for amendment and the previous 
question is ordered.
  The question is on the concurrent resolution.
  The concurrent resolution was agreed to.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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