Soon, Old Glory will have to be born in the land of the free and not merely flying over it.

U.S. Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, said, “The federal government should only use flags entirely manufactured in the United States.” Jose Luis Magana/Associated Press

Congress has passed a proposal to require the federal government to purchase only American flags that have been completely manufactured in the U.S. The U.S. imports millions of American flags from overseas, mostly from China, and the sponsors of the proposal said it’s time for American flags to originate in the country they represent.

Supporters of the proposal, led by Republican Sen. Susan Collins of Maine and Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown of Ohio, said the change is more than just symbolic – they believe it will support American jobs and manufacturers while preserving the nation’s most recognized banner.

“The American flag serves as a symbol of our identity, resolve, and values as one people. To honor its significance, the federal government should only use flags entirely manufactured in the United States,” Collins said.

Supporters of the proposal said Monday that they expect the measure to be signed into law soon. It was sent to President Biden on Thursday.

Federal rules currently require the government to buy flags that contain half U.S.-made materials, supporters of the proposal said. The rule change, called the “All American Flag Act,” requires government-purchased flags to be produced entirely with American-made materials as well as manufactured in the U.S.

The value of U.S. flag imports in 2015 was well over $4 million, according to federal data. The vast majority of those imports came from China, supporters of the rule change said.

In 2017, the U.S. imported some 10 million American flags, and 99.5% of them came from China, supporters of the proposal said. Those figures include all American flags imported into the country and not just those purchased by the federal government.

Collins and Brown have been pushing for American flags to be manufactured in the U.S. for several years. Previous efforts to change the rules to require U.S.-made flags found success in the U.S. Senate but stalled when they reached the House of Representatives.