mr. speaker , i rise in opposition to h. j. res. 10 , which proposes a constitutional amendment to ban desecration of the flag , because what people do with a piece of fabric , however meaningful , is not worthy of congressional intervention . 
flag burning has as much to do with patriotism as weapons of mass destruction had to do with our invasion of iraq . 
this is not the first time the republican majority has sought to divert attention from otherwise pressing matters . 
this body could be focusing on providing health insurance to our nation 's 45 million uninsured , improving our public education system , addressing our swollen deficit , or any number of equally important issues . 
instead we are mired in the issues of terri schiavo , steroids in professional sports and flag burning . 
if we wanted to show our patriotism and support our troops there are tangible options available . 
we could focus , instead , on providing them with enough bulletproof vests , ensuring veterans have access to the best possible health care , and sending our troops into war only as a last resort . 
perhaps if the members of this body were so concerned with a symbol of democracy , an effort could be made by our leaders to hold themselves to the highest ethical standards . 
mr. speaker , how patriotic do you think the american people feel when a chief negotiator of the medicare drug bill leaves congress to become the head of the pharmaceutical industry 's lobbying group ? 
how much pride in our democracy do americans have when they learn that the president was planning to invade iraq months before he bothered to tell them about it ? 
how should the american people feel when they learn the republican majority votes to cut health care for millions of impoverished americans and then boosts funding for no-bid defense contracts to halliburton ? 
the republican majority consistently does n't support our troops and has sold the government to the nation 's wealthiest corporations ; a debate about flag burning will not change these facts . 
mr. speaker , i will not vote to undermine our freedoms and make a mockery of our constitution . 
