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CLEVELAND, Ohio — U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown on Flag Day reintroduced legislation that would require that flags purchased by the federal government be made in the U.S.

The All-American Flag Act of 2013 was passed by the Senate unanimously back in 2011, requiring the flags be made from 50 percent American-made materials.

Brown reintroduced the legislation aboard the USS Cod at a ceremony in Cleveland Friday. He said the law is a great way to honor veterans and support the economy.

“We think any American unit, especially the military unit or government institution, should have a flag made and produced in the United States with U.S. materials,” agreed veteran Bill Henderson.

Numbers from the U.S. Census Bureau show nearly $4 million worth of American flags were imported last year — almost all of them from China.