[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 106 (Thursday, July 9, 2015)]
[House]
[Page H4965]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       CONFEDERATE FLAG AMENDMENT

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from 
Minnesota (Ms. McCollum) for 5 minutes.
  Ms. McCOLLUM. Mr. Speaker, as you pointed out, I am from Minnesota. 
Minnesota's Governor Ramsey was in Washington, D.C., shortly after the 
attack at Fort Sumter, and he was the first to offer up our support--
1,000 Minnesotans--to keep our Union together.
  Minnesota was at the Battle of Gettysburg. Our regiment suffered 82 
percent in casualties, the greatest loss of any unit at Gettysburg on a 
single day.
  So last night, when the Republican leadership put forward a last-
minute amendment that would allow for the display and sale of the 
Confederate flag in our national parks, an amendment which we will vote 
on today that would allow this hateful symbol which evokes memories of 
racism and a painful period in our country's past to be displayed on 
public lands, I found myself shocked, outraged, and disappointed 
because the people in Minnesota sent me here to strive for what they 
strive for every day: to build a better, stronger America, an America 
in which we strive to give everyone hope and opportunity, that they too 
can pursue life, liberty, happiness, and justice.
  So the flag that we are talking about is a symbol of a time when 
African Americans were enslaved, sold as human commodities. It had been 
used as a rallying cry throughout our history for those who wish to 
keep our country segregated.
  And we saw again last month in Charleston this flag being used as a 
symbol for many who carry hatred in their hearts, a man who carried so 
much hatred that he took the lives of nine parishioners because he 
viewed this flag as a symbol of his beliefs.
  This flag should be no point of pride for any American, and we should 
take this flag down.
  Just 2 days ago, without opposition, as I had the honor of being 
ranking member as we were doing the Interior bill, this body voted to 
adopt amendments which would prevent the sale or display of Confederate 
flags in national parks.
  Those amendments were simple, commonsense efforts to place into law 
standards that the National Park Service had put forward last month. It 
was a moment of great pride for me.
  All those new standards would do was bring the Federal Government in 
line with decisions made by many private sector retailers: Amazon, Wal-
Mart, Sears, Disney. And other national retailers have all made the 
decision to take down this flag because of its racist history.
  Private businesses are rallying behind a commonsense decision to stop 
peddling hateful symbols. So why in heaven and Earth is the House of 
Representatives, the Republican Caucus, working to ensure that the 
Federal Government allows them to be sold?
  For House Republicans, it appears perhaps the cost of getting the 
votes to pass the Department of the Interior, Environment, and Related 
Agencies Appropriations bill, which panders to polluters, is to wrap 
themselves in a banner of racism.
  I think that is wrong, and I urge my colleagues to stand with people 
of great courage and great passion to say ``no'' to hate, ``no'' to 
racism, and ``yes'' to America.
  I urge my colleagues to vote ``no'' on the Calvert amendment.

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