[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 161 (2015), Part 8]
[House]
[Pages 11107-11108]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                     TAKE DOWN THE CONFEDERATE FLAG

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Michigan (Mr. Kildee) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. KILDEE. Mr. Speaker, overnight, House Republicans have 
dramatically

[[Page 11108]]

and inexplicably reversed their position on taking down this terribly 
divisive symbol, the Confederate battle flag.
  While they initially allowed House Democrats' amendments to remove 
this symbol from our national parks, late last night, they allowed an 
amendment on voice, which was challenged. I will be on the floor for a 
rollcall later today to keep--believe it or not--keep the Confederate 
flag as a symbol for sale and for display in America's national parks.
  Of course, this morning's headlines, the scathing headlines, tell it 
all: ``House GOP takes step back on Confederate flags.''
  Unbelievable--it is a shame. It is really a shame that House 
Republicans last night, very late last night, without warning, 
attempted to turn back important progress on taking down this terrible 
and divisive symbol.
  This, of course, happens just weeks--days, literally--after nine 
Americans were slain in an historic Black church in Charleston, South 
Carolina. A terrible and tragic massacre committed by an evil 
individual, who wrapped himself in that very symbol, and celebrated the 
hate that it stood for.
  I attended the funeral of Reverend Clementa Pinckney and, with other 
Members of Congress, grieved with that community in their pain. I saw 
that community asking themselves a question: Why, why does that hateful 
symbol, that flag, continue to fly over their State capitol?
  On the same day that the South Carolina Legislature expressed the 
will of its people and the American people and voted overwhelmingly to 
take down this horrible symbol, on the same day that South Carolina 
voted to take down that hateful symbol, a Member of this House of 
Representatives came to this floor and offered an amendment to preserve 
that symbol in America's national parks--what a shame.
  Amazon, Walmart, and Sears all have taken that symbol out of their 
stores and no longer sell it; but the Republican leadership allowed and 
would have allowed on voice vote an amendment to stand that would 
preserve the right to have that symbol sold in our national parks--what 
a shame.
  I hope the American people are watching and paying attention to this 
because it is a moment of truth, I think, for this Congress. I hope and 
I pray that Democrats and Republicans--I know the feelings of the 
Democratic Caucus; we spoke about it this morning--but I hope will be 
joined by Republicans on the other side in turning back this awful 
amendment that would say horrible things about the progress that we 
hope that we had made just in the last few weeks.
  I ask Americans to join us. Use social media, #takeitdown. Express 
yourself. Join with us in rejecting this horrible symbol of hate. Let's 
take it down.

                          ____________________