House: Confederate Flags Only Twice a Year at Some Graves

Republicans and Democrats came together Thursday in a House of Representatives vote that agreed to limit the use of Confederate flags in national veterans cemeteries, the Christian Science Monitor reports. Per the approved amendment to a veterans and military spending bill, the controversial flag won't be able to be draped or hoisted prominently in national cemeteries (not even over mass graves), though a small Confederate flag can be left on an individual grave on both Memorial Day and Confederate Memorial Day. The amendment was given the green light by 84 GOPers and every Democrat save one. The Washington Post notes that Thursday's vote was the first time the House officially made its voice heard on the issue.

The Hill reports there were no public naysayers during the floor debate on the amendment, but that didn't mean the day passed drama-free. The legislative director for Republican Rep. Lynn Westmoreland sent out an email (posted on Twitter by Hill reporter Cristina Marcos) before the vote, noting, "You know who else supports destroying history so that they can advance their own agenda? ISIL. Don't be like ISIL." Westmoreland later issued a statement saying he was "deeply disappointed" in his staffer's "unprofessional" language. The amendment still needs to go before the Senate. (A Confederate monument is coming down in Kentucky.)