Duval Times

Senators Rick Scott, Ted Cruz, and Thom Tillis have introduced the Make American Flags in America Act. This bill aims to ensure that all American flags displayed by federal agencies and purchased with U.S. tax dollars are made domestically. The legislation addresses a loophole allowing Chinese manufacturers to sell flags falsely labeled as American-made.

Senator Rick Scott emphasized the significance of producing American flags domestically, stating, "The American flag represents the pride and joy of being an American and the very values of a nation founded upon freedom, democracy and the American dream." He added that producing these flags should be reserved for Americans who believe in its values, not nations like China. Scott urged colleagues to support swift passage of the bill.

Senator Ted Cruz highlighted bipartisan support for domestic production of American flags. He noted that current laws still allow Chinese manufacturers to exploit loopholes to sell fraudulently branded flags. "This bill would close those loopholes," he stated, calling for Congress to pass it promptly.

The background context reveals that in 2024, Congress enacted the All-American Flag Act. This law requires U.S. flags procured by federal agencies to be manufactured from U.S.-grown materials. However, loopholes have permitted Chinese companies to mislabel their products on e-commerce platforms as American-made. The new act seeks to eliminate these issues by removing an acquisition threshold and mandating an FTC report on enforcement.