Congressman Thompson's Provision for American Flags Passes

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Congressman Mike Thompson’s (D-St. Helena) bipartisan 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, was passed by the House of Representatives and Senate, and will be signed into law.   

“This provision will make sure every American Flag DOD buys is made in America, by American workers with American products,” Thompson said. “I am proud to have worked to pass this law so that our men and women in uniform never have to fight under a U.S. flag made overseas, and so that our Defense Department never again spends American tax dollars on a U.S. flag made overseas.” 

Thompson’s provision applies 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 applies 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. The Department of Veterans Affairs is required to only purchase U.S.-made American Flags for servicemembers’ funerals. 

Thompson’s provision passed as part of H.R. 3547, the Fiscal Year 2014 omnibus appropriations bill.

Thompson represents 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. He is also a member of the fiscally conservative Blue Dog Coalition and chairs the bipartisan, bicameral Congressional Wine Caucus.