U.S. Senate candidate Harold Ford Jr. today said he would have voted for a constitutional amendment protecting our nation’s flag if he had been in the Senate when the vote was cast yesterday. In a statement, Congressman Ford said:“Had I been in the Senate for yesterday’s vote, I would have voted in favor of the constitutional amendment banning desecration of our flag. Free speech is one of our nation’s most cherished and important values. But just as important is the protection of our flag, which is the clearest symbol of those values.
“The flag is more than just a piece of cloth. It is a symbol to ourselves and the rest of the work of freedom, democracy and the promise of a better tomorrow. It adorns our ships and leads our troops into battle. The flag demands our respect and deserves constitutional protection. If elected to the Senate, I will be proud to be the final vote necessary to see that it gets that protection.”
Congressman Ford’s record shows he has been in favor of a constitutional amendment banning desecration of our flag his entire career:
Voted YES on passage of the joint resolution to propose a constitutional amendment to state that Congress shall have the power to prohibit the physical desecration of the flag of the United States.
H J Res 10, 06/22/05, Roll Call #296
Voted YES on constitutional amendment prohibiting flag desecration: The Desecration of Flag resolution was a vote to put forward a Constitutional amendment to state that Congress shall have the power to prohibit the physical desecration of the flag of the United States
HJ RES 4, 06/03/03, Roll Call # 234
Voted YES on constitutional amendment that proposed Congress shall have the power to prohibit the physical desecration of the flag of the United States.
HJ RES 36, 07/17/01, Roll Call # 232
Voted YES on amendment to prohibit burning the US flag: An amendment to the Constitution of the United States authorizing the Congress to prohibit the physical desecration of the flag of the United States.
HJ RES 33, 06/24/99, Roll Call #252
Voted YES on passage of the joint resolution to propose a constitutional amendment to allow Congress to prohibit physical desecration of the U.S. flag.
HJ RES 54, 06/12/97, Roll Call #202
176 Days
Days of Congressional Inaction on Ethics
Above is the number of days that have passed since Jack Abramoff pleaded guilty to bribing Congressman.
It is also the number of days in which Congress has failed to pass an ethics reform bill that would limit private travel, ski and golf junkets, and would call for a full disclosure of expenses by lobbyists on members of Congress.
It is time for Congress to step up and pass an ethics reform bill that would do all of the above. In addition, it is time to end the pork barrel spending system as we know it and establish an independent ethics commission that would review ethics complaints against members of Congress.
I am proud Congressman Harold Ford Jr. is fighting for that reform!
Read Congressman Ford's call for reform of the House rules here!
