[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 97 (Tuesday, June 9, 2026)]
[House]
[Page H3996]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          CELEBRATING FLAG DAY

  (Mr. Womack of Arkansas was recognized to address the House for 5 
minutes.)
  Mr. WOMACK. Mr. Speaker, on Sunday, June 14, our Nation will 
celebrate Flag Day. It was on that date in 1777, by resolution of the 
Second Continental Congress, that our Nation adopted Old Glory as the 
flag of the United States. It was, and is, the single-most recognizable 
symbol of the great American experiment and has endured through our 
Nation's greatest triumphs and its greatest hardships.
  From the Revolutionary War to the World Wars, from the age of space 
exploration to the fight for civil rights, the Stars and Stripes has 
stood as a symbol of American courage and resolve. It is worn by those 
who serve their country in uniform, and it has been draped over the 
coffins of those who sacrificed their lives for what it represents.
  Yet, Congress, the constitutional body charged with making our 
Nation's laws, does not have the legal authority to decide how our most 
sacred symbol, the flag, should be protected.
  We have seen folks burn and desecrate the flag, an act that shows 
deep contempt for those who know and understand what this flag 
symbolizes. But Congress can take the first step to restore its 
authority and the American people's First Amendment right to demand its 
protection.
  That is why I have proposed a constitutional amendment returning to 
Congress that power to prohibit the physical desecration of the 
American flag. This issue was once debated, legislated, and settled 
through the democratic process, but it has been untouchable for nearly 
four decades following a decision by the Supreme Court.
  That decision overturned laws in 48 out of 50 States that protected 
our flag from desecration. If the American people remain united in 
their commitment to protect our Nation's flag, Congress should do its 
part.
  Mr. Speaker, this is a historic year. It is our Nation's 250th 
anniversary. I can't think of a better year for Congress to step up in 
the spirit of self-governance and make an effort to give our flag the 
protection it deserves.
  On this Flag Day, I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to 
reflect on what the Stars and Stripes means to them and to join me in 
restoring Congress' constitutional authority to protect it in 
accordance with the will of the American people.

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