Comments Of Sen. Patrick Leahy
Flag Amendment News Conference With Veterans
Senate/Capitol Grounds
June 14, 2006

Good morning.  This feels familiar -- another week, another partisan effort to misuse our Constitution as some sort of political bulletin board to rally voters and nudge up sagging poll numbers.  This sudden flurry of constitutional amendments is enough to make a cynic ask whether gay marriage and flag burning only reach the level of national crisis in even-numbered years, which are election years.

The Constitution is too important to be used for partisan gain, and so is our American flag.  We all agree flag desecration is a despicable act.  But our Constitution is the bedrock of our rights and freedom as Americans.  We Vermonters are especially proud that we would not join the Union until 1791, the year the Bill of Rights was ratified.  We should not now begin whittling away at the First Amendment for the first time in our history.

In this good and great country, we fly the flag not because the government tells us to, but because we want to.  I hope that will never change.

I am honored to join today these brave veterans who have come to the Capitol to oppose this divisive and transparent amendment.  These veterans know firsthand what it means to risk their lives for the freedoms our flag represents.  It is those freedoms that they have fought for, and it is those freedoms that matter most.

This debate is yet another diversion from the problems that should be high on the Senate’s agenda -- the real priorities of the American people and of our veterans.  We have just witnessed the largest theft of private information from the Government ever, the loss of information on more than 26.5 million American veterans – including more than 2 million in active service.  That is nearly 80 percent of our active-duty force and a large percentage of our National Guard and the Reserve.  Helping veterans who face the threat of identity theft should be a top priority on the Senate Floor right now, but it is not.  Improving veterans’ health care is another pressing need.  After the VA’s leadership repeatedly denying, then finally admitted, to a billion shortfall in funding for veterans health care, it is long past time for us to fulfill our responsibilities to those who have given so much so that we could maintain our freedoms and way of life and provide veterans with the best health care in the world.  With hurricane season once again upon us and the Guard troops carrying a heavy load in Afghanistan and Iraq, re-equipping the Guard’s depleted equipment stocks also deserves the Senate’s attention right now.  

Instead of parroting partisan talking points on the Senate floor, our time this month would be much better spent working to improve veterans’ health care and protecting veterans’ privacy. 

Just as we must not let the terrorists succeed in forcing us to compromise the rights and freedom and the human rights ideals that are central tenets of our American heritage, we must not let a few hooligans hoodwink us into defiling our Constitution.

I am proud of the veterans who are with us today and of the veterans who have stepped up before to defend our Constitution.  At one of our earlier hearings on this amendment, Senator Bob Kerrey said:  “Real patriotism cannot be coerced.  It must be a voluntary, unselfish, brave act to sacrifice for others.”

And former Secretary of State and former General Colin Powell earlier wrote this to me about his reasons for opposing this amendment:  “I would not amend that great shield of democracy to hammer a few miscreants.  The flag will still be flying proudly long after they have slunk away.”

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