Republicans in Congress stumbled into the Confederate flag debate Thursday after Southern lawmakers protested a proposal to put new restrictions on displaying the banner on federal parklands, launching the party into a conversation many leaders would have preferred to avoid.
The uproar in the House rippled across Washington after an amendment banning Confederate flags -- sponsored by a California Democrat, Rep. Jared Huffman -- was attached to an otherwise routine budget bill making its way through Congress.
Southern Republicans protested the Californian's move and threatened to pull their support for the broader $30-billion bill, which funds the Interior Department and other related federal agencies, including the national parks.