Just in time for “Saturday’s 156th anniversary of the day which marks the last African American slaves being freed in Texas in the wake of the Civil War,” Congress will send President Biden a bill recognizing Juneteenth as a national holiday. The last time Congress passed legislation establishing a national holiday was in 1983 when they approved Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday as a federal holiday and Ronald Reagan reluctantly signed the bill into law.
Surprisingly, the Senate voted unanimously to approve the bill but of course, fourteen members of the GQP voted against it. They include the following:
- Andy Biggs (Ariz.)
- Mo Brooks (Ala.)
- Andrew Clyde (Ga.,)
- Scott DesJarlais (Tenn.)
- Paul Gosar (Ariz.)
- Ronny Jackson (Texas)
- Doug LaMalfa (Calif.)
- Thomas Massie (Ky.)
- Tom McClintock (Calif.)
Ralph Norman (S.C.) - Mike Rogers (Ala.),
- Matt Rosendale (Mont.),
- Chip Roy (Texas)
- Tom Tiffany (Wis.).
Multiple House Republicans objected to officially calling the holiday “Juneteenth National Independence Day” out of concerns it could be confused with Independence Day on July 4.
***Thought no one ever.
“I fully support creating a day to celebrate the abolition of slavery,” Massie said during House floor debate. “However, naming this day National Independence Day will create confusion and push Americans to pick one of those two days as their Independence Day based on their racial identity.”
Massie suggested that the Juneteenth holiday could be named “Emancipation Day” instead.
The bill heads to President Biden’s desk for his signature but it’s unsure if he will sign it in time for the 156th anniversary.
