But mustering the two-thirds vote required for a constitutional amendment has not been as easy in the Senate. Eight senators remained undecided, Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle, D-South Dakota, told reporters. Five years later, in 1989, the Supreme Court ruled that a Texas law outlawing flag burning violated the First Amendment's protection of free speech.
Proponents argue the issue centers on American values.
It is about our sense of national community. The proposal has been embraced by conservatives and veterans groups, such as the Veterans of Foreign Wars. Raising the flag on Iwo Jima was a great morale booster. Opponents argue that the amendment would trample rights of free speech guaranteed under the First Amendment and could lead to disputes over interpretation of the legislation. Everybody here in this body knows that this is pure, sheer politics.