Pride flags have been banned from all US embassies as part of Biden’s $1.2 trillion spending package

The New York Post recently reported that Pride flags will no longer be allowed to fly at U.S. embassies. The ban comes after President Joe Biden signed a $1.2 trillion spending package.

Biden released a statement saying that the “bipartisan funding bill I just signed keeps the government open, invests in the American people, and strengthens our economy and national security.”

“This agreement represents a compromise, which means neither side got everything it wanted.”

The 1,012-page text was spearheaded by Republicans, which stated: “None of the funds appropriated or otherwise made available by this Act may be obligated or expended to fly or display a flag over a facility of the United States Department of State.”

There have been heated debates about Pride flags flown at U.S. embassies around the world. While the flags were flown under the Obama administration, they were subsequently banned by the Trump administration in 2019. Since then, Biden reinstated the flags in 2021, according to a report by Forbes.

The Senate reportedly passed the funding package in a 74-24 vote at around 2:00 a.m. Saturday morning. The vote was finalized technically two hours after the deadline due to last-minute disagreements, per CNBC.

Consequently, the White House said that it would not begin official shutdown operations since an agreement was ultimately made.

A spokesperson for Biden reportedly said: “Biden believes it was inappropriate to abuse the process that was essential to keep the government open by including this policy targeting LGBTQI+ Americans.”

However, it’s speculated that the White House will try to repeal the flag ban.

“It poses absolutely no limits to other displays of a Pride flag, hosting LGBTQ+ events or embassy employees’ ability to display Pride flags in their work spaces,” Brandon Wolf, Human Rights Campaign spokesperson, said on Friday.

The Hill reported Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said: “It’s been a very long and difficult day, but we have just reached an agreement to complete the job of funding the government.”

“It is good for the country that we have reached this bipartisan deal. It wasn’t easy, but tonight our persistence has been worth it.”

An additional sticking point for Republicans was that they wanted more funding to secure the U.S.-Mexico border, noting that the Biden administration’s current policies don’t do enough to push against the onslaught of migrants flowing over the border.

Senate Republicans pushed for the bill to include measures such as the Laken Riley Act, “which would require the detention of undocumented immigrants who are charged with theft-related crimes. In the end, none of the amendments passed, somewhat due to time constraints,” per The Hill.