Jeffries leads charge against funding for confederate flag
House unanimously approves his amendment
Calling the Confederate battle flag “a divisive symbol,” U.S. Rep. Hakeem Jeffries spearheaded an effort to cut off federal funds to civic officials around the country seeking to fly the controversial flag from public buildings or facilities operating under the jurisdiction of the National Park Service.
On July 7, the House of Representatives unanimously passed on a voice vote an amendment Jeffries (D-parts of Brooklyn-Queens) sponsored to prohibit the allocation of federal funds in connection with the purchase or display of a Confederate flag on a public building or facility under the National Park Service’s authority.
The amendment, which is attached to an appropriations bill related to the funding of the National Park Service, specifies “none of the funds made available to the National Park Service by this Act may be used for the purchase or display of a Confederate flag with the exception of specific circumstances where the flags provide historical context.”
Jeffries, who serves as the whip for the Congressional Black Caucus, said the passage of the amendment was an important step.