House overwhelmingly votes to make Juneteenth a federal holiday
With a vote of 415-14, the House on Wednesday approved a bill making Juneteenth a federal holiday.
The Senate unanimously passed the bill on Tuesday, and it now heads to President Biden's desk for his signature.
Juneteenth is celebrated on June 19 to mark the end of slavery in the United States, when Union soldiers let the last enslaved people in Texas know that they were free. It is already a holiday in several states, and celebrations are held in cities across the U.S. Juneteenth will be the country's 12th federal holiday, and the first new one since Martin Luther King Jr. Day was created in 1983.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
"Our federal holidays are purposely few in number and recognize the most important milestones," Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y.) said. "I cannot think of a more important milestone to commemorate than the end of slavery in the United States."
Rep. Matt Rosendale (R-Mont.) was one of the Republicans who voted against the bill, saying in a statement beforehand that "since I believe in treating everyone equally, regardless of race, and that we should be focused on what unites us rather than our differences, I will vote no."
-
5 calamitous cartoons about the Washington Post layoffsCartoons Artists take on a new chapter in journalism, democracy in darkness, and more
-
Political cartoons for February 14Cartoons Saturday's political cartoons include a Valentine's grift, Hillary on the hook, and more
-
Tourangelle-style pork with prunes recipeThe Week Recommends This traditional, rustic dish is a French classic
-
Key Bangladesh election returns old guard to powerSpeed Read The Bangladesh Nationalist Party claimed a decisive victory
-
Epstein files topple law CEO, roil UK governmentSpeed Read Peter Mandelson, Britain’s former ambassador to the US, is caught up in the scandal
-
Iran and US prepare to meet after skirmishesSpeed Read The incident comes amid heightened tensions in the Middle East
-
EU and India clinch trade pact amid US tariff warSpeed Read The agreement will slash tariffs on most goods over the next decade
-
Israel retrieves final hostage’s body from GazaSpeed Read The 24-year-old police officer was killed during the initial Hamas attack
-
China’s Xi targets top general in growing purgeSpeed Read Zhang Youxia is being investigated over ‘grave violations’ of the law
-
Panama and Canada are negotiating over a crucial copper mineIn the Spotlight Panama is set to make a final decision on the mine this summer
-
Why Greenland’s natural resources are nearly impossible to mineThe Explainer The country’s natural landscape makes the task extremely difficult
