Where does that flag come from?

The U.S. government now needs to know the answer. Congress just passed a proposal about flags. It’s called the All American Flag Act. It requires the U.S. government to buy only flags made in the United States. Supporters say it’s time for these flags to come from the country they represent. 

Lawmakers sent the proposal to President Joe Biden last week. On July 30, the senators who introduced the act announced that he signed it into law. 

Have a flag? Check the tag! Where was it made? The stars and stripes represent the United States. But millions of American flags are actually made overseas. Most come from China. 

There was already a rule about flags purchased by the American government. At least half the materials that go into them had to be U.S.-made. The new law requires them to be completely American-made.

“The American flag serves as a symbol of our identity, resolve, and values as one people,” says Senator Susan Collins of Maine. She argues that to honor that, the government should use only flags made entirely in the United States.

In 2017, the United States imported nearly 10 million flags from China. The government didn’t buy all of those flags, of course. That number includes all the flags that any U.S. residents bought. Think about that huge number. That’s a lot of flag-making work. 

The American flag is a symbol. For a symbol to ring true, the actions behind it need to match. Lawmakers like Mrs. Collins think the new law is one way to do that. How? Bringing more flag-making jobs to the United States supports Americans. 

God wants our words to match our actions. That’s not always easy! Other people might be fooled by outward appearances. But God looks at peoples’ hearts. He helps us walk in the truth.

Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth. — 1 John 3:18