THOMPSON ANNOUNCES PENTAGON’S IMPLEMENTATION OF HIS LEGISLATION REQUIRING DOD TO ONLY BUY AMERICAN-MADE U.S. FLAGS
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Rep. Mike Thompson (CA-5) announced that the U.S. Department of Defense has today issued a rule to implement Thompson's legislative provision requiring every American flag purchased by the Department of Defense (DOD) to be 100 percent manufactured in the United States, from articles, materials, or supplies that are 100 percent of grown, produced or manufactured in the United States. Thompson's provision passed last Congress as part of H.R. 3547, the Fiscal Year (FY) 2014 omnibus appropriations bill, and was signed into law by the president in January, 2014.
"This Pentagon rule implements my legislation to make sure every American flag DOD buys is made in America, by American workers with American products," said Thompson. "As a veteran myself, I am proud that because of this legislation, our brave men and women in uniform will never again have to serve under a non-American made U.S. flag.
Thompson's provision, which the DOD rule codifies, applied the Berry Amendment to the American Flag. The Berry Amendment, originally passed in 1941, prohibits DOD funds from being used to acquire food, clothing, military uniforms, fabrics, stainless steel, and hand or measuring tools that are not grown or produced in the United States, except in rare exceptions. Thompson's provision applied the same rules for the DOD's acquisition of American Flags, which previously were not listed as a covered item.
Precedent already exists for such a provision. Currently, the Department of Veterans Affairs is required to only purchase U.S.-made American Flags for serivcemembers' funerals.
Thompson's provision passed as part of H.R. 3547, the Fiscal Year (FY) 2014 omnibus appropriations bill. The DOD has now codified Thompson's provision in its new rule issued today.
Congressman Mike Thompson is proud to represent California's 5th Congressional District, which includes all or part of Contra Costa, Lake, Napa, Solano and Sonoma Counties. He is a senior member of the House Ways and Means Committee and the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. Rep. Thompson is also a member of the fiscally conservative Blue Dog Coalition and chairs the bipartisan, bicameral Congressional Wine Caucus.
# # #