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[Congressional Bills 114th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 344 Introduced in House (IH)]

114th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 344

   Urging the discontinued use of the Confederate battle flag, which 
   represents pain, humiliation, torture, and racial oppression, in 
                     remembrance of the Emanuel 9.

_______________________________________________________________________

                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             June 25, 2015

Mr. Clyburn (for himself, Mr. Cleaver, Mr. Butterfield, Ms. Adams, Mrs. 
 Beatty, Mr. Carson of Indiana, Ms. Clarke of New York, Mr. Clay, Mrs. 
   Watson Coleman, Mr. Conyers, Mr. Danny K. Davis of Illinois, Ms. 
 Edwards, Mr. Fattah, Ms. Fudge, Mr. Al Green of Texas, Mr. Hastings, 
   Mr. Jeffries, Ms. Eddie Bernice Johnson of Texas, Mr. Johnson of 
Georgia, Mrs. Lawrence, Ms. Lee, Ms. Jackson Lee, Mr. Lewis, Ms. Moore, 
 Ms. Norton, Mr. Payne, Mr. Richmond, Mr. David Scott of Georgia, Mr. 
 Thompson of Mississippi, Mr. Veasey, Ms. Maxine Waters of California, 
Ms. Wilson of Florida, Ms. Bass, Ms. Brown of Florida, and Mr. Scott of 
Virginia) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the 
                       Committee on the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION

 
   Urging the discontinued use of the Confederate battle flag, which 
   represents pain, humiliation, torture, and racial oppression, in 
                     remembrance of the Emanuel 9.

Whereas the Confederate battle flag has always been recognized as a deeply 
        offensive symbol of opposition to civil rights legislation, integration, 
        justice, education, and access to equal opportunity;
Whereas officials have called for the removal of the Confederate battle flag 
        from the grounds of the South Carolina State House in light of the 
        shooting at the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in 
        Charleston, South Carolina, where the following nine citizens were 
        killed because they were African-American: Rev. Clementa Pinckney, Rev. 
        Daniel Simmons, Sr., Tywanza Sanders, Cynthia Hurd, Sharonda Singleton, 
        Myra Thompson, Susie Jackson, Ethel Lance, and Rev. DePayne Middleton-
        Doctor;
Whereas for decades, prominent African-American leaders along with members of 
        the general public have fought and called for the removal of the 
        Confederate battle flag, as an insulting representation of humiliation, 
        torture, and racial oppression;
Whereas Walmart, Sears, eBay, and Amazon will discontinue selling merchandise 
        displaying the Confederate battle flag;
Whereas three other States still have depictions of or symbolic references to 
        the Confederate battle flag adopted in their own flags, including--

    (1) Mississippi: the upper-left corner of the State flag is a smaller 
version of the Confederate battle flag;

    (2) Alabama: the red cross of the State flag was designed to preserve 
some of the distinctive features and ideals of the Confederate battle flag; 
and

    (3) Florida: the cross on the State flag was inspired by the design of 
the Alabama flag;

Whereas the Supreme Court of the United States issued a ruling on June 18, 2015, 
        in Walker v. Texas Division, Sons of Confederate Veterans, Inc., stating 
        that Texas did not violate the Constitution by prohibiting license 
        plates depicting the Confederate battle flag;
Whereas Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, 
        South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia continue to allow 
        the depiction of the Confederate battle flag on license plates; and
Whereas continued display of the Confederate battle flag has resulted in 
        perpetual racial tension and conflict; instilled pain in the lives of 
        American people; and been appropriated as a symbol of hatred, brutality, 
        and oppression: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives, understanding that the 
United States can achieve a more perfect Union through avoidance of 
``government speech'' which promotes or displays symbols, signs, and 
vestiges of racism, oppression, and intimidation in the States, 
localities, and territories, and urging the promotion of tolerance and 
unity by taking actions to ensure that ``government speech'' does not 
foster division, disharmony, or intolerance through government-issued 
or sponsored flags, signs, images, or other symbols--
            (1) urges States hanging the Confederate battle flag in 
        public and State locations to remove the flag;
            (2) urges States to discontinue use of the Confederate 
        battle flag and its likeness on any property deemed 
        governmental speech, including license plates;
            (3) urges businesses to discontinue selling Confederate 
        battle flags and any related merchandise; and
            (4) urges States with flags that include depictions of and 
        symbolic references to the Confederate battle flag to remove 
        those depictions and references.
                                 <all>
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