Baucus Introduces Constitutional Amendment To Protect American Flag

Senator Max Baucus is leading a bipartisan effort to allow Congress to protect the American flag from acts of physical desecration. The amendment is not, as some have falsely asserted, a ban on flag desecration.

 “Montanans recognize the flag as more than just a piece of cloth, but as part of the fabric that binds us as Americans. The folks elected to represent Americans should be allowed to protect the flag as they see fit,” said Baucus. “Americans have nobly laid down their lives to uphold the values symbolized by Old Glory. Any acts to desecrate or destroy the American flag are clearly offensive and disrespectful to our veterans who volunteered to defend the honor of our nation.”

Baucus and Senator Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) are original co-sponsors of the proposal. The amendment would only restore to Congress the right to protect the flag – the authority the Supreme Court took away in 1989. The American people deserve the final say on this matter, and sending this amendment to the states will give them that voice, they said.

 Members of Congress of both parties have long supported the amendment, which has passed the House of Representatives several times and fallen just short of the 67 votes required for passage in the Senate three times, most recently in 2006 when the Senate voted 66-34.

Story from Kathy Weber, Montana Press Secretary for Senator Max Baucus