House Panel Rebuffs Bush, OKs Flag Bill

The House Judiciary Committee overwhelmingly approved a Democrat-backed bill today to outlaw flag desecration, rejecting warnings from President Bush that the measure is not enough to protect Old Glory.

On a 28-6 vote, the Democrat-dominated committee passed the bill despite complaints from the White House and congressional Republicans that it would be thrown out in court and that Bush’s proposed constitutional amendment is the only sure way to defend the Stars and Stripes.

The measure goes to the full House, where passage is expected next week.

Democratic leaders are blocking Bush’s constitutional change from coming to a vote, but Republicans are likely to try parliamentary maneuvers to force it to the floor, probably in September.

The Senate, meanwhile, has already agreed to vote on both a bill and a constitutional amendment in October.

The vote in the Judiciary Committee came after the panel spent two days mired down in mostly partisan bickering over whether a constitutional change or a simple bill is the best way to respond to the Supreme Court’s decision that flag burning was protected by free speech.

Although many lawmakers support both approaches, the bill is most attractive to those who recognize the potential political danger of doing nothing about the court decision but who also fear that changing the Constitution could erode First Amendment free speech guarantees.