The Confederate Flag Belongs in the Ashbin of History

Floor Speech

(Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)

Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Madam Speaker, I rise today to condemn House Republicans' secretive attempt in the dead of Wednesday night to permit the display of the racist Confederate flag in national parks and cemeteries.

In the wake of the Charleston murders, our Nation is moving toward the removal of the flag from public places. Later today, the State of South Carolina will remove the flag from its capitol grounds. And yet, while this is happening, the Republican majority has sought to associate itself and this body with the racist legacy of the Confederate flag.

To add insult to injury, yesterday, when House Democrats tried to bring up a resolution removing any State flag displaying the Confederate battle flag from the Capitol except in very limited circumstances, the majority turned their backs and ignored the cries of millions of Americans who are calling for its permanent ban.

Republican leadership ought to be ashamed for associating themselves with this symbol of racism, hatred, and intolerance. This body should move swiftly to relegate the Confederate flag to museums and the ashbin of history.

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