[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 161 (2015), Part 8]
[House]
[Page 11111]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                 TAKE DOWN THE CONFEDERATE BATTLE FLAG

  (Ms. LEE asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute.)
  Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in the strongest possible 
opposition to House Republican efforts to support hate through the 
promotion of the Confederate battle flag.
  Make no mistake, the Confederate battle flag is a symbol of hate and 
racism. The Calvert amendment would allow for the display and sale of 
this symbol of hate at our national parks and Federal cemeteries. That 
is outrageous.
  This flag speaks to one of the darkest moments in our Nation's 
history, and its display and sale in our national parks is simply 
unconscionable. Today, our Nation still grieves the tragedy in 
Charleston, and we remember the nine lives that were tragically cut 
short by a person whose sole goal was hate and division.
  The South Carolina Legislature voted last night in a bipartisan way 
to take down the Confederate battle flag from the statehouse. Likewise, 
major retailers have removed this symbol of hate from their shelves. 
Yet my Republican colleagues want to return it to our national parks 
and Federal cemeteries. This is simply outrageous.
  It is past time for our Nation to get serious about putting away not 
only these hateful symbols, but ensuring liberty and justice for all. 
It is past time to take it down.

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