Breaking News
Bipartisan House OKs Bill Making Juneteenth A Holiday
In a surprisingly bipartisan vote, the US House of Representatives passed a bill Wednesday making Juneteenth a federal holiday. Juneteenth, or June 19, is the that commemorates the official end of slavery in the United States.
RELATED: Trump Postpones Campaign Rally in Tulsa to June 20
Bipartisan Vote For Juneteenth
Earlier Wednesday, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD) quickly put the bill into a vote after the Senate approved a similar bill unanimously. It won with a 415-14 plurality.
As a result, the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act will now head to President Joe Biden’s desk for signing into law. “We cannot change the future if we do not recognize the past,” said Representative Joyce Beatty (D-OH). Beatty is the chair of the Congressional Black Caucus.
Many states already celebrate Juneteenth, which falls every 19th of June, including Texas, Virginia, New York, New Jersey, and Oregon. Previously, many black communities celebrated Emancipation day for decades.
They recognized the date long before critical race theory became vogue in educational circles. The holiday originated in Galveston, Texas, and marks the day in 1865 when Union Army General Gordon Granger announced General Order No. 3, This order officially proclaimed freedom from slavery in Texas.
Opposition To The Bill
Some Republicans didn’t like the official name of the bill, saying it reads too close to the established Independence Day of the US. They said the wording is too similar to another holiday, July 4th.
In fact, Representative Chip Roy (R-TX) voted no to the bill because of that. “I don’t believe the title ‘National Independence Day’ works,” Roy said.
Earlier on Tuesday, the Senate passed a similar Juneteenth bill by unanimous consent. Senator Ron Johnson (R-WI) dropped his objections to the legislation. “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.
Juneteenth Pushing Critical Race Theory
Meanwhile, Representative Matt Rosedale (R-MO), also voted against the passage of the bill. In a statement, Rosedale gave his reasons. “Let's call an ace an ace.
This is an effort by the Left to create a day out of whole cloth to celebrate identity politics as part of its large effort to make Critical Race Theory the reigning ideology of our country,” he noted.
However, Representative Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) said that making Juneteenth a federal holiday was long overdue. Specifically, she referenced objections to teaching critical race theory, she said that the holiday comes as a reminder.
“This comes at an important time, Madam Chair. Across the country, we are seeing efforts to eliminate the teaching of our country's history, like the injustices of slavery, from being taught in our own schools. This national holiday will serve as a powerful reminder that we cannot run from our past,” she said.
Watch the CBS News report where Congress passes bill to make Juneteenth a federal holiday:
Loading ...Do you support Juneteenth as a federal holiday? Also, how do you plan to celebrate Juneteenth?
Let us know what you think about federal holidays. Share your comments in the comments section below.
10 Comments
But there’s still slavery in the USA to this day. Just Look at our prison system.
Too many left wing Democrats want to make everything about race. They want to destroy our history and American heritage. I am PRAYING that the Democrats really lose big in the upcoming elections. We parents are voicing our concerns about how are children are being taught and this is inline with that. America the beautiful and the land of the free not the land of leftist ideology.
It’s ridiculous. This is designed to further divide Americans (that’s what Democrats do).
I’m so sick of this issue Obama and his wife started the race thing up again There are as many impoverished white people as there are blacks Have a look at the homeless vets now that is wrong now there’s going to be thousands of new illegal immigrants we will have support Remember it’s the middle class white people paying for welfare
The whole prison system is slavery has been debunked many times. Plus, there are people of all races in prison. I gediscriminated against all the time and Im caucasian. Try being white and going to the post office, social security admin, dmv, and any other business where race determined who gets the job.
Juneteenth would be a way to further create a rift between the races.
Listen again to Martin Luther Kings statements about equality.
We are all AMERICANS! EXCEPT those who cross the border illegally!!
This is nonsense! Slavery was still legal in Missouri, Maryland, Delaware, and West Virginia until passage of the 13th amendment (Dec 1865). If we find it it absolutely necessary to pander, that is the date that should be the date to considered.
WHY DO YOU KEEP BRING UP THE PAST. FORGET THE PAST FIX WHAT IS BROKER NOW. WHAT ABOUT OUR VETERANS THAT ARE HOMELESS. DON’T YOU THINK THEY SHOULD BE THE ONE WE SHOULD BE HELPING.
what do black lives matter and the palestinian people have in common , they want want all the Jewish people dead and the BLM wants all the white people dead , except for the white women which they want to breed , they want to be black , but have white people’s hair ,it would seam everything these day’s is about black’s when their are just as white people with problem’s , maybe it should be all people , no not maybe it should be , are people so blind these day’s that they can’t see what is going on here , they are the other side of the coin from the K.K.K. and something needs to be done about it !
all this black lives matter holiday is , is a way to divide our country ,that is bad thing to have happened & only a fool would vote for something like that , like the civil war , this will be the race war , is that what everyone wants , I don’t think so , it is time for our gov to pull their head out of their ass stop the bull shit ! why is our gov supporting terrorist anyway ?