Goodlatte Statement at Markup of the Honoring Hometown Heroes Act

Washington, D.C. – House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.) today delivered the following remarks during the House Judiciary Committee’s markup of the Honoring Hometown Heroes Act (H.R. 1892). Chairman Goodlatte: On June 14, 1777, the Continental Congress passed an Act establishing an official flag for our new nation. The resolution stated the flag would “be thirteen stripes, alternate red and white; and that the union be thirteen stars, white in a blue field, representing a new constellation.” Since that time, the flag has evolved – changes were made to its design, shape, and arrangement, with new stars added to reflect the admission of each new state. What has remained steadfast, however, is what that flag represents. It represents one nation, it represents freedom, it represents justice, and it represents the sacrifices made in pursuit of our common values. Federal law provides guidance in displaying and handling the flag so it is afforded the respect it deserves. Abiding by these guidelines is a way to symbolize the value and love we all hold for what it represents. That is why it is not only appropriate, but necessary, for the flag code’s guidelines to include the provision proposed in H.R. 1892, the Hometown Heroes Act. This bill amends the flag code to permit Governors and the Mayor of Washington, D.C., to order that the flag be flown at half-staff in the event that a public safety officer dies in the line of duty. These public safety officers include local police officers, firefighters, and EMS professionals -- a class of individuals who make great sacrifices so we all can live in a free country. These officers work long hours, consistently experience traumatizing incidents, and place themselves in harm’s way so we can live the way we do. These sacrifices often go unappreciated. When an officer dies in the line of duty, they are making the ultimate sacrifice for their community, their family, and for their country. This bill allows the American people to show their appreciation to these men and women, who are truly the bulwark between order and chaos. They are people who represent the values the Founders held so dear so many years ago.  Their sacrifice must be recognized and publicly acknowledged so it is not taken for granted. I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.