Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) (shown above right) said on Thursday during a hearing on Capitol Hill that she wants to display an altered American flag with 51 stars — instead of 50 — outside her congressional office.
Why?
She wants to demonstrate support, she said, for the efforts to help make the District of Columbia a state.
She made her comments during a House Oversight and Reform Committee hearing about the Democratic bill to make the District of Columbia the country’s 51st state.
Republicans oppose the move.
Before the hearing took place, the city of D.C. put up 140 American flags with the extra star around the city.
Tlaib told Mayor Muriel Bowser during the hearing, “I would love one. I would love to hang it outside of my office.”
Bowser responded to her, “Yes, got it.”
See these tweets about it — then keep reading right below.
Flag flop: Rep. Tlaib says she will fly altered flag to support DC statehood https://t.co/gn3En9mYhI
— Conservative News (@BIZPACReview) September 19, 2019
WHOA. The DC Mayor's office has put up 51 star flags all along Pennsylvania Ave, between the Capitol and White House, in an apparent effort to promote DC statehood. Appears to be a direct violation of US Flag Code article CRS-7 (g). pic.twitter.com/FPYGO94suj
— Anne Cutler (@AnneCutler) September 13, 2019
Rashida Tlaib Says She's Going To Hang Altered American Flag Outside of Her Office in Push for DC Statehood https://t.co/7BzouoIqYs
— Cris Hamilton (@Cris4Hamilton) September 20, 2019
What are these Democrats doing in OUR country?https://t.co/zCX4cdl3k2
— Official Tea Party (@OTPUSA) September 19, 2019
The mayor — a Democrat — tried to explain the reasoning for creating, displaying and wanting a changed flag.
“We revere our flag,” said Bowser. “And we think it’s more perfect when every taxpaying American is represented on that flag.”
(As some people have asked since then, she “reveres” it so much she wants to change it?)
As Fox News pointed out, the statehood bill for D.C. has over 200 co-sponsors.
Both House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) support the statehood effort as well.
Not one congressional Republican has signed on to the legislation — and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said he will not bring a D.C. statehood bill for a vote.
If the bill were ever passed, it would require two senators and a House representative to be elected to represent D.C., as BizPac Review and others have pointed out. The official district territory would exclude certain federal buildings and monuments.
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