President Joe Biden signed a funding bill Saturday that prohibits the pride flag at U.S. Embassies worldwide.
Joe Biden signed a $1.2 trillion government funding bill Saturday that incorporated a provision that restricts the display of LGBTQ pride flags over U.S. embassies. This ban is part of many additional issues included in the bill that was passed to fund the government until September.
Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson, who is known for his conservative Christian beliefs, reportedly used the ban on the pride flag to gain support for the bill from his party, according to Bloomberg. The $1.2 trillion bill, which is 1,012 pages long, indirectly backs a Republican plan to stop LGBTQ Pride flags from being shown at U.S. government buildings, even if it doesn’t specifically mention the ban of Pride flags at U.S. embassies.
New government spending bill bans U.S. embassies from flying LGBTQ Pride flags. https://t.co/z2EJxRkWeu
— CBS News (@CBSNews) March 23, 2024
“None of the funds appropriated or otherwise made available by this Act may be obligated or expended to fly or display a flag over a facility of the United States Department of State other than the — United States flag; Foreign Service flag pursuant to 2 FAM, POW/MIA flag, Hostage and Wrongful Detainee flag, pursuant to section 904 of title 36, United States Code, flag of a State, insular area, or the District of Columbia at domestic locations, flag of an Indian Tribal government, official branded flag of a United States agency or sovereign flag of other countries,” the bill read.
The White House announced that it intends to fight the ban. Right after the bill was signed, the Biden administration immediately pledged efforts to overturn this specific clause.
WASHINGTON, DC – JUNE 10: US President Joe Biden speaks at the Pride Month celebration on the South Lawn of the White House on June 10, 2023 in Washington, DC. Thousands of people came to the white house to celebrate pride month with a performance by singer Betty Who. (Photo by Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images)
“The Administration fought against the inclusion of this policy and we will continue to work with members of Congress to find an opportunity to repeal it. We were successful in defeating 50+ other policy riders attacking the LGBTQI+ community that Congressional Republicans attempted to insert into the legislation,” the White House spokesperson told NBC News. (RELATED: ‘You’re Already Represented’: Community Bans Pride Flags On Public Poles)
A Democrat strongly opposed the provision. Democratic Texas Rep. Greg Casar expressed his disapproval while talking to reporters Thursday, according to NBC News. “It shows just how low the Republican Party has gotten that they’ve threatened to shut down government services over trying to figure out which flags can be flown in front of which buildings,” Casar said, NBC News reported. “I think it’s laughable, not just to Democratic voters but to Republican voters.”
Republican Florida Rep. Cory Mills expressed disappointment that this policy had to be included, according to the Washington Examiner. Mills believes that this policy about flags is part of a larger issue with the Democrats’ focus on diversity, the outlet stated. “I don’t think that we should be flying flags that sow division by thinking that it somehow creates some kind of inclusion,” Mills told the Washington Examiner. “I think it does the opposite. I just personally think that it’s sad that we have to state these things.”