Even as the Confederate battle flag was removed from the statehouse grounds in Columbia, S.C., last week, two South Florida congressional representatives continued the push to remove it off of all government buildings and grounds.
During last week’s debate in Congress over the Interior and Environment Appropriations bill, U.S. Rep. Ken Calvert, R-Calif., proposed an amendment which would have reversed an earlier vote and let Confederate flags be displayed at federal cemeteries.
U.S. Rep. Frederica Wilson, D-Fla., was one of several Democrats to call the Republicans out on the amendment and pointed toward the events in South Carolina.
“On the same day that South Carolina took a huge step forward by voting to remove the Confederate flag from its state capitol grounds, the U.S. House of Representatives took steps to take a major leap backward by introducing an amendment that would undo a measure to bar the display of this symbol of hate in federal cemeteries and prohibit the National Park Service from doing business with gift shops that sell the flag and related merchandise,” Wilson said on Thursday. “The measure has for now been dropped from the bill it was attached to, but it is a sad commentary on the state of our union that it was ever up for consideration.
“There is no adjective strong enough to describe how vehemently I oppose the Calvert amendment,” Wilson added. “In 2001, while serving as chair of the Legislative Black Caucus in the Florida House of Representatives, I worked with then-Gov. Jeb Bush to remove the Confederate flag from our state’s capitol. It is an accomplishment I will never forget.
“The flag is a reminder of one of the darkest periods of division in our nation’s history and more recent evidence of the hate that still divides some of us as manifested by the June 17 massacre of nine African-American parishioners at Charleston’s Emanuel A.M.E. Church,” Wilson said in conclusion. “As I said 14 years ago, the Confederate battle flag is an advertisement for racism and hatred. I urge my colleagues to close this shameful chapter in our nation’s history once and for all.”
Calvert tried to shift the blame on the amendment higher up and Roll Call reported last week on how members of his Interior, Environment and Related Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee think the California Republican was run over by the House leadership.
“Last night, during debate of the Fiscal Year 2016 Interior and Environment Appropriations bill, an amendment was brought to me by House leadership at the request of some Southern members of the Republican caucus,” Calvert insisted on Thursday. “The leadership amendment would have codified existing National Park Service policy set by the Obama administration. Those Obama administration policies prohibit the sale and display of the Confederate flag on National Park Service properties, except when displayed in a historical or educational context. To be clear, I wholeheartedly support the Park Service’s prohibitions regarding the Confederate flag and the amendment did nothing to change these prohibitions.
“Three amendments concerning the Confederate flag were adopted during the open rule process under which the Interior bill was considered,” Calvert said. “I accepted all of these amendments without disagreement or debate. The Jeffries amendment and the Huffman amendment regarding National Park concessioners maintained the Obama administration exceptions for displays in a historical and educational context; however, the Huffman amendment regarding National Park cemeteries did not. The intent of the leadership’s amendment was to clear up any confusion and maintain the Obama administration’s policies with respect to those historical and educational exceptions.
“Looking back, I regret not conferring with my colleagues on the other side of the aisle, especially my ranking member Betty McCollum, prior to offering the leadership’s amendment and fully explaining its intent given the strong feelings members of the House have regarding this important and sensitive issue,” Calvert said.
The amendment was pulled and no further vote was held. But Wilson wasn’t alone in the Florida delegation in expressing opposition to the Confederate battle flag. At the end of last week, U.S. Rep. Carlos Curbelo, R-Fla., applauded South Carolina for removing the Confederate battle flag from the statehouse grounds and urged other governments to follow the Palmetto State’s lead.
“The removal of the Confederate flag from South Carolina’s Capitol is symbolic of America turning the page on a divisive era in our nation’s history,” Curbelo said on Friday. “I applaud Gov. Haley for her leadership in bringing this sensitive subject to the forefront, and hope that governments at all levels will follow South Carolina’s example.”
Reach Kevin Derby at kderby@sunshinestatenews.com or follow him on Twitter: @KevinDerbySSN
