Rep. Jackson Lee calls on Perry to focus on jobs, not Confederate flag

Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Texas) on Tuesday morning criticized Texas Gov. and presidential candidate Rick Perry (R) for allowing a state agency to "fool around" with the idea of allowing a Texas license plate bearing the Confederate flag.

"To put on the state license plate a flag that symbolized fear, intimidation, oppressive action, brutality, slavery and the death of slaves … and the brutality of Jim Crowism is an outrage and will not be tolerated," Jackson Lee said on the House floor.

Jackson said Texas and other states should be focusing on job creation, but blamed Perry for "fooling around with the idea, with his appointees, of a Confederate flag license plate."

The Sons of Confederate Veterans has asked the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles to allow for plates that have the Confederate flag on them. Earlier this year, a board was unable to decide this question in a 4-4 vote with one member absent, and Perry recently appointed a new ninth board member. The question is expected to come before the board again in early November.

Jackson Lee suggested that any state considering allowing a Confederate flag license plate should be seen as "not worthy of receiving federal funds" if they are spending time on "something as dastardly" as these plates.