Senate unanimously passes bill to make Juneteenth a national holiday

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The U.S. Senate unanimously passed a resolution on Tuesday to make June 19 as Juneteenth National Independence Day, a U.S. holiday commemorating the end of slavery in the United States.

Senate passes Juneteenth bill

After passing by unanimous consent, the bill now heads to the House of Representatives.

Then on to President Biden’s desk for signature into law.

More than 150 years later, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., made a motion to pass the bill via unanimous consent.

No other senator objected, including Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., who dropped his previous objection to the bill.

About Juneteenth

Celebrated on June 19, Juneteenth, also known as Freedom Day, recognizes and marks the emancipation of formerly enslaved African Americans, commemorating the date in 1865 when slaves in Galveston, Texas, learned of their freedom.

“While it still seems strange that having taxpayers provide federal employees paid time off is now required to celebrate the end of slavery, it is clear that there is no appetite in Congress to further discuss the matter,” Johnson said.

The Bill

The bill was first introduced last spring by Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, and Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, D-Texas, during the height of racial tension in the country following the murder of George Floyd, but they could not gain the support needed.

Now, almost a year later, the bill included 18 GOP co-sponsors.

“It has been a state holiday in Texas for more than 40 years,” Cornyn tweeted Tuesday afternoon. “Now more than ever, we need to learn from our history and continue to form a more perfect union.”

Recently, New York, New Jersey, and Louisiana mandated Juneteenth as a state holiday.

While Juneteenth has been celebrated by some Black Americans since the late 1800s, the holiday has gained in popularity in recent years.

Today, cities and towns across the country commemorate the date with festivals, parades, gatherings, and educational events.

If the Juneteenth National Independence Day bill is passed in the House and signed by the president, Juneteenth would become the 11th annual federal holiday.