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First:
Pre-1995 History
Congressional attempts to prohibit flag burning -- or any desecration of the flag -- began in earnest after a 1989 5-4 Supreme Court decision in Texas v Johnson opened the door to burning the flag as a form of political speech protected under the First Amendment.
Republicans gained control of both houses of Congress in the 1994 elections and picked up where they had left off in 1990.
- 1995 - 104th Congress
On 21 March, Sen. Hatch (R-UT) introduced
SJ Resolution 31, "amendment to the Constitution of the United States to grant Congress and the States the power to prohibit the physical desecration of the flag of the United States." Concurrently, Rep. Solomon (R-NY-22) introduced HJ Resolution 79.
Continuing the pre-Fourth tradition started by the Senate in 1990, the House passed HJR 79 by a vote of 312-120 on 28 June. Not voting: Horn (R),
Moakley (D),
Reynolds (D).
Continuing a tradition of scheduling controversial votes right before Christmas recess, the Senate rejected SJR 31 on 12 December by a 63 - 36 vote.
- 1997 - 105th Congress
On 12 June, 1997, the House passed HJ Resolution 54 - prime sponsor Rep. Solomon (R-NY-22) - by a vote of
310-114.
Not voting: 10 representatives.
Brown (D-FL),
Capps (D),
Farr (D),
Flake (D),
Forbes (R),
McCrery (R),
Miller (D-CA)
Rush (D),
Schiff (R),
Smith (R-MI).
- 1998 - 105th Congress
The Senate did not vote on Sen. Hatch's (R-UT) companion bill, SJ Resolution 40.
- 1999 - 106th Congress
On 24 June, the House passed HJ Resolution 33 - prime sponsor Rep. Cunningham (R-CA-51) - by a vote of
305 - 124.
Not voting: 5 Representatives.
Brown (D-CA),
Gilchrest (R),
Kasich (R),
Millender-McDonald (D),
Towns (D).
On 17 March 1999, Sen. Hatch (R-UT) introduced SJ Resolution 14.
- 2000 - 106th Congress
On 29 March, the Senate rejected, by four votes,
SJ Resolution 14 - prime sponsor Sen. Hatch (R-UT) - by a vote of
63 - 37.
- 2001 - 107th Congress
On 17 July, the House passed HJ Resolution 36 - prime sponsor Rep. Cunningham (R-CA-51) - by a vote of
298 - 125.
Not voting: 10 Representatives.
Bishop (D),
Delahunt (D),
Gephardt (D),
Jefferson (D),
Kolbe (R),
Owens (D),
Reyes (D),
Riley (R),
Schiff (D),
Spence (R).
- 2003 - 108th Congress
On 3 June, the House passed
HJ Resolution 4 - prime sponsor Rep. Cunningham (R-CA-51) - by a vote of
300 to 125.
Not voting: 8 Representatives. Carson (D-OK), Conyers (D), Gephardt (D), Herger (R), Larson (D-CT), Ryan (R-WI), Smith (D-WA), Wexler (D).
- 2005 - 109th Congress
On 22 June, the House narrowly passed
HJ Resolution 10
- prime sponsor Rep. Cunningham (R-CA-51) - by a vote of
286 - 130.
Not voting: 18 Representatives.
Barton (R-TX),
Bonner (R),
Boyd (D),
Brady (R-TX),
Carter (R),
Conaway (R),
Doggett (D),
Herseth (D),
Hinojosa (D),
Jackson-Lee (TD-X),
Lewis (D-GA),
McCaul (R-TX),
Ney (R),
Oxley (R),
Pomeroy (D),
Rangel (D),
Smith (R-TX),
Thomas (R).
Note: This vote is short of the two-thirds of the full chamber.
- 2006 - 109th Congress
On 27 June, the Senate narrowly defeated
SJ Resolution 12
- prime sponsor Sen. Hatch (R-UT) - by a vote of
66 - 34. This
vote was one short of passage.
Sources:
Legislative History of SJR 40 and HJR 54;
Legislative History, HJR 10.
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