WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. flags flying atop federal government buildings and military installations — and draping the coffins of military veterans who made the ultimate sacrifice for their country — will be 100% American-made in the future.
President Joe Biden on Tuesday signed into law a bill co-authored by U.S. Sens. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, and Susan Collins, R-Maine, that requires the federal government to only buy American flags produced and manufactured completely in the United States, and only with American-made materials.
Brown, in his weekly conference call with reporters from across the Buckeye State, shared his excitement that the bipartisan All-American Flag Act had been signed into law. The bill, he said, has been more than 12 years in the making.
Brown first introduced the bill in 2011 and gained Senate approval before the bill died in the House of Representatives. The bill was reintroduced in 2013, with similar results. In 2023 the Senate again approved the All-American Flag Act, and earlier this week the U.S. House of Representatives unanimously passed the legislation.
The law will go into effect in 180 days.
“It was simply unbelievable that flags flying over federal government buildings in the past were required to contain only 50% U.S. materials,” Brown said. “The U.S. Flag Act will change that. It’s just like the (federal) infrastructure bill; bridges in the United States should not be built with materials from China.”
Brown said his bill is “all about the American workers and American jobs” and not about penalizing outside players. He expects the bill to create a “big market” for small companies that may arise to fill the newly-created niche.
“There’s one company in Ohio that produces flags now, and I think there will be smaller companies spring up,” the senator said.
The Cincinnati-based National Flag Co. is a small, family-owned flag and banner manufacturer that has been in business for more than 150 years.
Brown said past efforts to pass the legislation were thwarted by corporate interests whose interests often did not align with the average citizen.
“There are way too many special interest groups in this body (Congress), and I’m constantly taking them on,” Brown added. “But my job is to listen to people, bring back ideas, draft a bill, get a Republican co-sponsor and get legislation passed.”
Larry Moore, executive director of the Summit County Veterans Service Commission, has been active on a national level with Veterans of Foreign Wars, American Legion, AMVETS and other veterans’ service organizations. He joined Brown on the conference call. He said veterans groups have been frustrated that flags flying over their post homes have not been 100% American-made.
“For veterans, it’s not about saving money (by purchasing flags of lesser quality); it’s about respect for the millions of Americans who served and who died under that flag,” Moore said.
In a prepared statement to coincide with the signing of the All-American Flag Act, Brown said, “American flags — bought with American taxpayer dollars — should be made in America, period. And now they will be.”
