The publication is reproduced in full below:
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JUNETEENTH NATIONAL INDEPENDENCE DAY ACT
Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York. Madam Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 479, I call up the bill (S. 475) to amend title 5, United States Code, to designate Juneteenth National Independence Day as a legal public holiday, and ask for its immediate consideration.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Ms. Jackson Lee). Pursuant to House Resolution 479, the bill is considered read.
The text of the bill is as follows:
S. 475
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Juneteenth National Independence Day Act''.
SEC. 2. JUNETEENTH NATIONAL INDEPENDENCE DAY AS A LEGAL
PUBLIC HOLIDAY.
Section 6103(a) of title 5, United States Code, is amended by inserting after the item relating to Memorial Day the following:
``Juneteenth National Independence Day, June 19.''.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The bill shall be debatable for 1 hour, equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the Committee on Oversight and Reform or their respective designees.
The gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. Carolyn B. Maloney) and the gentleman from Kentucky (Mr. Comer) each will control 30 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from New York.
General Leave
Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Member have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and insert extraneous material on S. 475.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the gentlewoman from New York?
There was no objection.
Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Today, I rise in strong support of S. 475, the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act.
I thank my good friend and colleague, Sheila Jackson Lee, for introducing the House companion bill, H.R. 1320, which has over 170 cosponsors.
This bill would establish Juneteenth, which is celebrated on June 19th, as a Federal holiday.
Our Federal holidays are purposefully few in number and recognize the most important milestones in our country's history. I cannot think of a more important milestone to commemorate than the end of slavery in the United States.
At the end of the Civil War in 1865, hundreds of thousands of people remained enslaved, despite the Emancipation Proclamation being issued nearly 2 years earlier.
On June 19, 1865, Major General Gordon Granger traveled to Galveston, Texas, and issued General Order Number 3, which declared that all slaves are free. That is when 250,000 enslaved individuals in Texas finally learned that they were free. The celebration that they held in Galveston on that day is the basis for the Juneteenth celebrations today.
Juneteenth is considered the longest-running African-American holiday marking the end of slavery in the United States, and it has been celebrated across the Nation for over 150 years.
First known as Jubilee Day, Juneteenth is marked by food, music, and fellowship. These celebrations honor freedom, recognize life, and uplift the complex history and the beautiful culture of the African-
American community.
Forty-seven States and the District of Columbia have made Juneteenth a public holiday, including my own State of New York.
While millions of Americans have celebrated this important day for generations, the Federal Government has failed in its responsibility to recognize its significance. Today, we can change that.
It is often said that those who do not remember their past are doomed to repeat it. If we want to confront the sins of slavery and move forward towards a more equitable, fair, and free society, it is incumbent upon us to recognize not only our past evils, but the moments of triumph over those evils.
Making Juneteenth a Federal holiday is a crucial step in remembering our past, and it will undoubtedly help us build a better future.
I thank Senator Ed Markey for his longtime leadership on this bill. As a result of his hard work, yesterday, the Senate unanimously passed S. 475 to make Juneteenth an official Federal holiday. Democrats and Republicans passed it unanimously.
Senator Cornyn, a conservative Republican from Texas, stated: ``The freedom of all Americans that Texas celebrates every Juneteenth should be celebrated all across the Nation. The passage of this bill represents a big step in our Nation's journey toward equality.''
In this time of increasing partisanship, Senator Cornyn's strong support speaks to the importance and urgency of this bill.
I also thank again my good friend, Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, who has been advocating for Juneteenth to be a Federal holiday for over 12 years. This bill would not be possible without her steadfast support and hard work.
It is now our responsibility to swiftly pass this bill and finally enshrine this important celebration in national law. As we strive toward a more perfect Union, it is critical that we acknowledge the national significance of Juneteenth. This day not only honors the past and celebrates the present, but it offers an opportunity to reflect upon ways to create an even more just society.
I encourage all of my colleagues to join me in supporting this vitally important bill.
Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. COMER. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Madam Speaker, Juneteenth is an important day, and remembering and celebrating the emancipation of African Americans in the United States is certainly worthy of commemoration. All Americans should celebrate our fight for freedom.
It is a fitting tribute first celebrated in the State of Texas to commemorate the day in 1865, when President Abraham Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation was recognized in that State.
I do plan to vote in favor of this bill that passed unanimously in the Senate yesterday. However, I would be remiss if I did not discuss the procedure leading up to consideration of this legislation.
Just a few mere hours ago, the Committee on Oversight and Reform, which has jurisdiction over Federal holidays in the Federal workforce, learned that this legislation would be taken up today. Our committee's job is to ensure the efficient and effective operation of the executive branch agencies.
Unfortunately, we have not had ample time to consider the effects of granting the entire Federal workforce another day off work. And we do not know what effect, if any, this bill will have on Federal programs and missions that our government delivers to the American taxpayer each day.
For instance, due to the rushed process, we do not yet have an estimate from the Congressional Budget Office of how much this bill will cost. I know my friends on the other side of the aisle have never really been concerned about the cost of a government program, but the people on this side of the aisle and the American taxpayers have a concern about the cost of legislation that we pass on the floor of the House of Representatives.
According to a 2014 analysis by President Obama's Office of Management and Budget, it cost Federal taxpayers $660 million in payroll and holiday premium costs when Federal employees were given an extra holiday on the day after Christmas that year by executive order.
Because we are not following regular order, which would have included a legislative hearing and committee markup, we do not fully understand the impacts of this new Federal holiday and the true costs of lost productivity.
Nevertheless, I thank my colleagues for the time to speak on this historical legislation.
Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Pelosi), the distinguished Speaker of the House.
Ms. PELOSI. Madam Speaker, I commend our distinguished chair of the Committee on Oversight and Reform, and the Congress, for bringing this important legislation to the floor within 24 hours of it passing the Senate.
It is a pretty exciting historic day.
I thank Congresswoman Jackson Lee for her sponsorship of this legislation for such a long time.
Madam Speaker, I rise to join my colleagues in the spirit of joy and pride as the Congress passes this legislation to declare Juneteenth a national holiday.
With this step, Congress is ensuring that one of the most momentous events in our history--which has been celebrated by millions, particularly Black Americans for 150 years now--is officially recognized; that it is enshrined in our history books, and it takes its place of honor in our Nation.
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Juneteenth is a beautiful and proud celebration of freedom for Black Americans. It marks the day, 2 years after President Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, when Major General Gordon Granger and Union soldiers delivered the news of liberation in Galveston, Texas, not far from the district the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson Lee) represents.
That day, General Granger conveyed the declaration that all are free with ``an absolute equality of rights and rights of property.''
I know that Texas' special place in our Nation's history is cherished by its delegation, especially, as I mentioned, the Chair, Representative Sheila Jackson Lee, representing Houston. Thank you for being the author of the legislation, the House companion of S. 475.
Thank you to the Congressional Black Caucus and its distinguished chair, Congresswoman Joyce Beatty from Ohio, and the Texas delegation and all Members who have worked for this official recognition over many years, including Representative Danny Davis. Thank you, also, to Committee on Oversight and Reform chair, Carolyn Maloney.
We salute Senators Ed Markey and John Cornyn, leading in the Senate, and congratulate them on yesterday's passage of S. 475 without objection.
And let me salute the activists and leaders who carried this fight to this day, including the late Dr. Ronald Myers. For decades, until his passing, Doc Myers led the campaign to make Juneteenth a national day of observance.
Over the past century and a half, Juneteenth has evolved into a day not only of celebration but of reflection. This day reminds us of a history much stained by brutality and injustice, and it reminds us of our responsibility to build a future of progress for all, honoring the ideal of equality that is America's heritage and America's hope.
I feel very honored to be here with the Congressional Black Caucus, as I mentioned already, to speak on behalf of this legislation. I thank them for making this day possible. I also had the honor of traveling with them to Ghana almost 2 years ago at the end of July as we observed the 400th anniversary of the first slaves coming to America.
John Lewis was with us on that trip to go to the Door of No Return, which is now the Door of Return, as it urges people to come back. Almost 402 years ago, the first slaves were pushed from Africa into dungeons, which were deadly, and onto slave ships, which were death ships, to come across the ocean to a place where they would be enslaved for hundreds of years.
It challenges the conscience of the world, and certainly of America, to even think about what happened to people in our country over that period of time. But to be there with the Congressional Black Caucus was a very, very special honor, and to see the connection between that Door of No Return and Ghana and the connection to our Members of Congress on the floor of this House today serving with such dignity and pride.
Madam Speaker, we know that the fight against racism and toward equality has far to go, but it is a fight that continues with a renewed sense of urgency all the time, now sparked by the murder of George Floyd and so many others.
We salute Congresswoman Karen Bass as she continues negotiations on the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, which now must become law.
As we fight for its passage, the Democratic House remains committed to real, effective action to advance justice, fairness, and opportunity for all. That is the purpose of our Congressional Black Caucus in this Congress. The Congressional Black Caucus is the conscience of the House of Representatives.
Madam Speaker, I urge a bipartisan vote on this important legislation and thank all Members who have led this effort which strengthens America.
I hope we can have, again, a strong bipartisan vote.
Mr. COMER. Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Weber).
Mr. WEBER of Texas. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me time.
Madam Speaker, today, the House moves to establish June 19 as the Juneteenth National Independence Day, a national holiday commemorating the end of slavery in the United States.
June 19 marks the day Union troops arrived in my district in Galveston, Texas--I wasn't alive back then, let me get that out there--
in the heart of what is now the 14th Congressional District of Texas, the Gulf Coast of Texas. Those troops arrived to announce and enforce the Emancipation Proclamation.
On that day, General Gordon Granger delivered the news of President Abraham Lincoln's proclamation, which had abolished slavery more than 2 years before, on January 1, 1863. That was his intent. It was the law, and it should have been done. But we had a ways to go, didn't we, to abolish slavery? We really did.
The abolition of slavery was a key milestone toward fulfilling our Founders' promise, underwritten by the self-evident truths of natural law, that all humans are created equal and should enjoy the same protections under the law.
Ingrained in Texas culture, my great Texas, this special day has already been recognized, which the chairwoman eloquently spoke about, in 47 of the 50 States here in the United States, and it is long overdue to be recognized as a Federal holiday. I have been working on it myself for several years with my friends, Sheila Jackson Lee and John Cornyn, and others.
This year's celebration should be rooted in the works of repair we have done, still need to do, and will continue to do, Lord willing, as a country that has endured periods of racial tension, which have tried to divide our people. Let it not be so.
As President Abraham Lincoln notably quoted from the Bible, he said:
``A house divided against itself cannot stand.'' Our country can and should--and, Lord, I will say ``will''--unite beyond the divisions that we have faced. And this is a long way toward that.
The forces that try to divide our Nation will not prevail as we stand firm in our identity as Americans. We are a people refined through the trials of fire and made stronger and stronger than ever.
Juneteenth reminds us of the freedom so bravely defended by many, many Americans, and it encourages us to remain steadfast in the good fight against division. It also reminds us we have a ways to go.
``A house divided cannot stand.'' That is absolutely true. But a house that is united is unshakeable.
Mr. Speaker, this is a step toward that unification.
Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson Lee), the author of the companion to the Senate bill.
Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from New York for her courtesies.
Mr. Speaker, it has been a long journey. It has not been yesterday, the day before, or last month, or a few years before. One could argue that it has been 12 years on this floor of the House.
So many people have been involved: Danny Davis; my colleagues in the United States Senate, Senator Cornyn and Senator Markey; Barbara-
Rose Collins, some 25 years ago with a resolution; others unnamed; and organizations across the Nation and some international.
It has been a long journey. It has not been an easy journey. When we stand here today, we should be reminded of the fact that there were people who continued to experience the whips of a whip for 2 more years, even as Abraham Lincoln stood in the shining sun in the aftermath of Gettysburg to unite the Union and proclaim the slaves free in 1863.
Just a few years ago, I had the teary privilege of being, at midnight, in the National Archives, looking at that document. Then, of course, it took 2 years for General Granger to get to Texas. But in that 2 years, we realize that tragedy continued and brutality continued, even into the 20th century.
I salute the miraculous coming together today of the House leadership, the Speaker, Leader Hoyer, Whip Clyburn, Chairman Jeffries, and others who brought this to the floor through a rule, Chairman McGovern, and then a debate. Then, of course, here we are today. It is a long journey, but here we are.
I am grateful, as I said earlier, that racial divide has fallen out of the sky, and we are crushing it to the Earth for this day, for the Juneteenth holiday.
H.R. 1320 was a bipartisan bill with over 166 sponsors, as well as now S. 475. We are delighted to note that the President will sign this bill.
When the words of General Granger were said--the people of Texas and other places are informed that in accordance with the proclamation from the executive, all slaves are free--then, in the same year, the 13th Amendment was passed.
This bill and this day are about freedom. At Gettysburg, that is what President Lincoln said in 1863, that this Nation under God shall have a new birth of freedom.
Why can't we continue on this pathway as we push the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, as we come together on the Voting Rights Act, as we realize that there is another path for America to take, that my freedom is your freedom and your freedom is my freedom?
Yes, slaves suffered continuously. Even in the 20th century, they were hung. Yet, we have a time today, miraculously, to be able to debate and vote on the floor of the House. Diverse persons can stand and join this.
So, I offer to my colleagues: Be reminded that this has been a long journey. There have been mountains and valleys, but we stand here today, free to vote for the Juneteenth National Independence Day, a Federal holiday for America. Freedom is now.
Mr. Speaker, as a senior member of the House Judiciary Committee, the Chair of the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security, and the principal sponsor in the House of the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act, I rise in strong and enthusiastic support of S. 475, the Senate companion to the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act I introduced on February 25, 2021, which establishes June 19 as a federal holiday.
I applaud the U.S. Senate for passing S. 475, Juneteenth National Independence Day Act, companion legislation to H.R. 1320, which I introduced to make Juneteenth a federal holiday to commemorate the end of chattel slavery, America's Original Sin, and to celebrate the perseverance that has been the hallmark of the African American struggle for equality.
I thank Senator Markey of Massachusetts for contacting my office with his request to introduce the Senate companion to H.R. 1320 for this Congress, and to my senior senator, Senator John Cornyn of Texas for his steadfast support of the Juneteenth holiday over the years, and others who spearheaded this effort in the Senate, and Senate Majority Leader Schumer for his support and for using his legislative skills to ensure the bill was voted on and passed.
Mr. Speaker, the process that has brought us to this day has been bipartisan, bicameral, cooperative, and constructive beginning with my collaboration in the 116th Congress with former Senator Doug Jones of Alabama and Senator Cornyn of Texas to coordinate the introduction and cultivate the necessary support for the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act.
That partnership has continued through the 117th Congress with the addition of Senator Markey of Massachusetts as the lead Democratic sponsor in the Senate.
The bipartisan H.R. 1320, the House version of S. 475, is sponsored by 166 Members from all regions of the country, including two of my Republican colleagues from Texas, Congressman Van Taylor and Congressman Randy Weber.
Mr. Speaker, now it is time for the House of Representatives to act swiftly and bring to the floor, vote on, pass the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act, and send it to the desk of President Biden for signature.
With the President's signature, the federal government will join 47 states in recognizing as a holiday Juneteenth, the day that has been celebrated by African Americans for 156 years and has been called rightly as 'America's second Independence Day.'
Let me extend on behalf of all of us who have labored to pass this important legislation our deep appreciation to the House leadership, particularly Majority Leader Hoyer, for their support which paved the way for the House last year to pass by unanimous consent H. Res. 1001, the resolution I introduced recognizing Juneteenth Independence Day.
As I have said many times, Juneteenth is as significant to African Americans as July 4 is to all Americans because on that day, June 19, 155 years ago, General Gordon Granger, the Commanding Officer of the District of Texas, rode into Galveston, Texas, and announced the freedom of the last American slaves; belatedly freeing 250,000 slaves in Texas nearly two and a half years after Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation.
When General Granger read these words of General Order No. 3 it set off joyous celebrations of the freedmen and women of Texas:
The people of Texas are informed that in accordance with a Proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free. This involves an absolute equality of rights and rights of property between former masters and slaves, and the connection therefore existing between them becomes that between employer and hired laborer.
Juneteenth thus made real to the last persons living under the system of chattel slavery, of human bondage, the prophetic words of President Abraham Lincoln delivered November 19, 1863, at Gettysburg `that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom--and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.'
Juneteenth was first celebrated in the Texas state capital in 1867 under the direction of the Freedmen's Bureau and remains the oldest known celebration of slavery's demise, commemorating freedom while acknowledging the sacrifices and contributions made by courageous African Americans towards making our great Nation the more conscious and accepting country that it has become.
As the Nation prepares to celebrate July 4th, our Nation's independence day, it is a time to reflect on the accomplishments of our Nation and its people.
The celebration of Juneteenth followed the most devastating conflict in our country's history, in the aftermath of a civil war that pitted brother against brother, neighbor against neighbor and threatened to tear the fabric of our union apart forever that America truly became the land of the free and the home of the brave.
Juneteenth honors the end of the 400 years of suffering African Americans endured under slavery and celebrates the perseverance that has been the hallmark of the African American experience in the struggle for equality.
But as the poet Langston Hughes reminds us in his famous poem,
``Mother to Son,'' life in America for African Americans ``ain't been no crystal stair.''
The post-bellum period in America was marked by violence and terrorism against African Americans as they sought to make real the promises of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution.
General Granger's reading of General Order No. 3 ended the remaining vestiges of the system of chattel slavery, a form of perpetual human bondage that held generations of Africans in captivity in the United States for 248 years and opened a new chapter in American history.
Recognizing the importance of this date, former slaves coined the word ``Juneteenth'' to celebrate the occasion, the first of which occurred in the Texas state capital in 1867 under the direction of the Freedmen's Bureau.
Juneteenth was and is a living symbol of freedom for people who did not have it.
Juneteenth remains the oldest known celebration of America's freedom from slavery.
It commemorates freedom while acknowledging the sacrifices and contributions made by courageous African Americans in the quest to make our lives more perfect.
The celebration of Juneteenth followed the most devastating conflict in our country's history, in the aftermath of a civil war that pitted brother against brother, neighbor against neighbor and threatened to tear the fabric of our union apart forever that America truly became the land of the free and the home of the brave.
The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. once said, ``Freedom is never free,'' and African American labor leader A. Phillip Randolph often said ``Freedom is never given. It is won.''
Truer words were never spoken.
We should all recognize the power and the ironic truth of those statements, and we should pause to remember the enormous price paid by all Americans in our country's quest to realize its promise.
In recent years, a number of National Juneteenth Organizations have arisen to take their place alongside older organizations--all with the mission to promote and cultivate knowledge and appreciation of African American history and culture.
I am reminded that the first legislation introduced in Congress recognizing Juneteenth occurred a quarter century ago, in 1996, when H.J. Res. 195 was introduced by Congresswoman Barbara Rose Collins of Michigan, and I have introduced similar legislation annually since the 109th Congress.
So it has been a long road we have travelled to get to this day, even longer that the 15-year journey taken to pass the bill making the Birthday of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. a national holiday.
Juneteenth celebrates African American freedom, and in so doing celebrates America's history and promise, while encouraging self-
development and respect for all cultures.
But it must always remain a reminder to us all that liberty and freedom are precious birthrights of all Americans, which must be jealously guarded and preserved for future generations.
In conclusion, I wish to take a moment to salute two of the unsung heroes who helped bring us to this day: the late Texas State Representative Al Edwards and nonagenarian Opal Lee, known affectionately as the ``Grandmother of Juneteenth.''
In 1852, Frederick Douglass famously asked: ``What to the slave is the 4th of July?''
In 2021, we can reply that it is the beginning of the American Promise that would be fulfilled and made real for all Americans, including the descendants of slaves, on June 19, 1865, `Juneteenth Day.'
That is why we celebrate Juneteenth and that is why I urge all Members to join me in voting to pass S. 475, the ``Juneteenth National Independence Day Act.''
Mr. COMER. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Higgins).
Mr. HIGGINS of Louisiana. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for yielding.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the holiday and in objection to the means by which the Democrats have brought this to the floor.
It is just wrong that this holiday, which should be recognized--
arguments against it are vacuous. A CBO score is not real because it doesn't recognize the productivity of Americans during a holiday week in anticipation of a holiday and increased productivity after the holiday, and it doesn't recognize the positive impact of the economy by those who celebrate the holiday, and the money they spend.
So, the CBO score is not an argument. We support the holiday. But why would the Democrats want to politicize this by co-opting the name of our sacred holiday of Independence Day. Why would it not be named the Juneteenth National Emancipation Day? Why would we want to inject conflict about this?
I don't understand this body and the way it moves forward contrary to the best interests of the American people. We all support the holiday. I am voting in support of the bill, but the objection--and my Democrat friends know this--the objection would be to the naming of the bill.
Where would that have been confronted? In committee. But this bill was not brought to committee, was it? It was brought directly to the floor for a vote, a trap set by my Democratic colleagues for conservatives on this side of the aisle who they knew would object to the naming of this bill and the co-opting of our Independence Day. They did not bring it through committee where we could have this conversation legitimately and for the historical record.
Everyone on the Committee on Oversight and Reform, we have jurisdiction over national holidays. We would have wanted to speak on this. We would have wanted to offer amendments. Did that happen? No. Were our amendments accepted? No, because this was brought directly to the floor.
That is what is wrong with this body. That is what is wrong about this bizarre realm of Washington, D.C.
Despite that, we are going to support the bill. I am going to support the bill because I support the holiday, and I support the Black communities. My Black brothers and sisters, Americans all, have been celebrating this holiday for 100 years. What is wrong with that? It is recognized by most States in the Union. This legislation just brings the Federal Government more in alignment with the sovereign States, which as a constitutionalist, I certainly support.
Mr. Speaker, I object for the historical record since there was no committee activity. I object on the floor this day to the process that Democrats used to bring this bill to the floor and the name by which it is entitled.
Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Mfume), a member of the Committee on Oversight and Reform.
Mr. MFUME. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairwoman for yielding.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act and to recognize and honor a day that symbolizes freedom for all African-ancestored Americans.
My thanks to my colleague, Representative Sheila Jackson Lee, for taking the lead on this important legislation and for doing the hard work to put the imprimatur of the United States Congress on this day, a day that means so much to so many.
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As an original cosponsor of the legislation, I am proud to say that, once again, we are at the doorstep of history, and to finally acknowledge that history in a new light.
Juneteenth is a reminder that we must continue to move forward in honor and in recognition of ourselves, our families, our neighbors, and the nameless and faceless generations of African Americans that we will never know. Their plight and this history are all captured in the words of the poet Langston Hughes when he wrote:
I, too, sing America.
I am the darker brother. They send me to eat in the kitchen when company comes, but I laugh, and eat well, and I grow strong.
Tomorrow, I'll be at the table when company comes. Nobody'll dare say to me, ``eat in the kitchen'' then.
Besides, they'll see how beautiful I am and be ashamed.
I, too, am America.
Madam Speaker, I urge passage of this Juneteenth National Independence Act, and I encourage all of my colleagues to do the same.
Mr. COMER. Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Roy).
Mr. ROY. Madam Speaker, I applaud the work by Congresswoman Jackson Lee, my colleague from Texas, on her work on this important recognition. And the gentlewoman knows that we discussed on the floor some of the concerns that I have that I share with my colleague from Louisiana.
I wish--because I do believe that there will be some division that comes out of embracing this so quickly, rather than running it through committee, by embracing a name that is going to be seen as conflicting, whether correlated with, or something with our July 4th national independence recognition.
And I understand it has been referred to as Independence Day over the years, and I understand why. I think for purposes of recognition by the United States Government, it would be my preference, and I would offer an amendment--if such things were ever done on the floor of this body. It is not, which is a sad state of affairs for the people's House. We literally never amend anything on the floor of this body.
I would offer an amendment embracing the recognition of this important day, June 19, 1865, and what that meant for the actual end to slavery, and obviously, we then passed the 13th Amendment, I believe, later that year in December. That is from memory, if that is right.
And I think it would be important, and I believe it has often been referred to in our history as Jubilee Day, as Emancipation Day, as Freedom Day, I would be amenable to any of those names. I don't believe that the title National Independence Day, I think, works. I would prefer that we just have a debate on that, and I wish we would have done that in committee.
I agree with the gentleman from Louisiana that it would have been preferred that we have that ability to do that, and that we should remember why regular order matters. As I told the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson Lee) earlier, I would prefer that we have this be unanimous, and I am afraid that it is not going to be unanimous. It will pass and it will pass overwhelmingly. It is good that we will pass it and that this day will be commemorated, as it should, as we have been commemorating it in Texas for a long time.
But it would be my strong preference, and I just wish this body--I wish we could get back to a time where we could sit down and work together when we have these minor differences, because I believe if we did, we really would probably pass this unanimously. There may be one or two that would vote ``no'' because of the 660 million, or whatever, people would say.
But we recognize the importance of the day, and I would just implore my colleagues going forward that on all of these issues, particularly where there is so much agreement, that we would find a way to come together to be able to hash out some of these differences so there could be a more unanimous belief and buy-in to what we are doing.
Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York. Madam Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Clyburn), the Democratic whip.
Mr. CLYBURN. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding me this time. I do have some prepared remarks here, but don't tell my staff that I'm not going to use them.
I want to speak just a little bit about what I just heard and what I think some of our challenges are in this great country of ours. And it is a great country. It does not need to be made great again. Our problem is making this greatness accessible and affordable for all of its citizens.
I think one of the ways that we do that is to recognize that we have a shared history in this country, but it is a history that is spotted with a lot of inequities, inequalities, and a lot of things that we ought to be about the business of working to try and level off the so-
called playing field. One of those, I think, is really about the ability to communicate.
When we talk about Juneteenth, I often equate the history of Juneteenth with our country's inability to communicate, because the Emancipation Proclamation, signed by Abraham Lincoln in 1862, was to be effective January 1, 1863, freeing all the slaves in the Confederate States not under Union control.
Now, when that happened, there was a big meeting down on the banks of a river in Beaufort County, South Carolina, near Port Royal, and 4,000 slaves came to listen to General Saxton read the Emancipation Proclamation. On that day they were free.
However, it was June 19, 1865, 2\1/2\ years later before it was communicated to those who were enslaved in Texas. The failure to communicate kept them in slavery for another 2\1/2\ years.
The failure to communicate is what seemed to keep us from coming together as one people today.
If we learned the lessons of history, as George Santayana once said to us: When we learn the lessons of history, we are bound to repeat them if we don't.
So I would hope that as we turn this piece of legislation into law and create a national holiday for Juneteenth, I hope we will keep a couple things in mind. It is not lost on me that this building we all meet in was built by slaves.
And one of the little known facts was a man named Philip Reid, who was enslaved in Charleston, South Carolina, and who came, after being bought, to Washington, D.C., worked in the foundry. And when the foundry made the Statue of Freedom, they couldn't get it up on top of the building.
All of those learned people who had been free all of their lives could not figure out how to get that statue on top of this building.
Philip Reid, enslaved, figured it out, and he showed them how to get that statue on top of this building. He was able to communicate some lessons that he could teach, though he was unlearned. In fact, it was against the law to be able to teach him to read. His name was Reid, spelled a little differently.
Now, I would hope that we would pass this law. I suspect we won't do what the Senate did and do it unanimously, though I think it would be a tremendous demonstration of unity for every one of us who vote to pass this law recognizing June 19 as a national holiday.
Mr. COMER. Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Davidson).
Mr. DAVIDSON. Madam Speaker, the bill before us rightly commemorates June 19, 1865, the day Major General Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston, Texas, announcing the end of the Civil War, and the formal end of slavery. It is effectively freedom day for the last enslaved Americans.
Of course, that was only in law. In practice, America failed to secure the blessings of liberty for those formerly enslaved Americans. Instead, when Abraham Lincoln was assassinated, the assassin effectively muted reconstruction.
Leaders, like Pennsylvania Congressman Thaddeus Stevens, rightly called for a much more aggressive reconstruction, but he failed to persuade his colleagues. The long struggle in defense of freedom is part of America's history.
At our founding, in the Declaration of Independence, our Founders eloquently stated that all people are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among them are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
Winning the revolution offered the potential for leaders like John Adams to rightly persuade their colleagues to end slavery, but they failed. Their failure set the stage for the Civil War, and the failure to complete reconstruction meant 100 years of Jim Crow, and separate but equal, that continued into my dad's lifetime.
America's failure to rightly recognize our painful and often unjust history has meant ongoing division, open wounds that continue to fester.
So, today, let us not fail to persuade our colleagues. Let us recognize this holiday. I mean, it should, however, be known as Freedom Day or simply Juneteenth, not National Independence Day, which recognizes the Declaration, not freedom, but the Declaration of Independence. I hope we can correct that in the future, but let's not allow perfect to become the enemy of this good bill, and I urge its passage.
Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Michigan (Ms. Tlaib), a member of the Committee on Oversight and Reform.
Ms. TLAIB. Madam Speaker, I thank our wonderful colleague, Congresswoman Jackson Lee, for this amazing, incredible effort, and for me to be here, and to actually witness this is an honor.
The passage of the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act is long overdue recognition for generations of pain and suffering of our Black communities.
This comes at an important time, Madam Speaker. 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. That we must educate future generations of all of our history no matter how many want to delete it or to whitewash it.
It is important to note, Madam Speaker, that this is just a minor step, far from really truly addressing the ills of our country. We must go further.
Colleagues, we must go further. We must pass the For the People Act, to H.R. 40, which is the Commission to Study and Develop Reparation Proposals for African Americans Act. We must do more. We need to transform the lives of our Black neighbors in a bold and meaningful way, and it will truly save lives. It will truly address why we need to take a moment and address this in a way that becomes a national holiday.
We must, again, take action to actually deliver for our Black neighbors.
{time} 1830
Mr. COMER. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Kentucky (Mr. Massie).
Mr. MASSIE. Madam Speaker, I fully support creating a day to celebrate the abolition of slavery, a dark portion of our Nation's history. However, naming this day National Independence Day will create confusion and push Americans to pick one of those 2 days as their Independence Day based on their racial identity.
Why can't we name this Emancipation Day and come together as Americans and celebrate that day together as Americans?
Black and White--all colors, all races, and all ethnicities--can then come together on Independence Day, which celebrates the creation of our country, throwing off an oppressive government, and come together as Black, White, and all races to celebrate that day, too?
Why ask Americans to pick one of the two Independence Days to celebrate? I think it is wrong to do that.
I think this day is misnamed. I do support creating a holiday and recognizing that wonderful day and that wonderful time when we got rid of slavery in this country. But let's celebrate both of those days: Independence Day and the day that we celebrate emancipation and ridding our country of slavery. Let's celebrate those 2 days together as one Nation under God indivisible.
Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Danny K. Davis), who is a member of the Oversight and Reform Committee.
Mr. DANNY K. DAVIS of Illinois. Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of the recognition of Juneteenth as a national holiday to celebrate the ending of the most horrific period and the most horrific policy and practices this Nation has ever known: slavery.
I heard one of my colleagues suggest a moment ago that perhaps the cost of Juneteenth is not known. I guarantee you, Madam Speaker, that whatever the cost, it will not come close to the cost of slavery.
Juneteenth is the recognition that darkness can come to light and that there is a celebration as my forefathers and -mothers struggled to endure the horror they experienced. So, celebrating Juneteenth as a national holiday is simply an idea whose time has come.
Madam Speaker, I am proud to vote for the resolution.
Mr. COMER. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the distinguished gentlewoman from Michigan (Mrs. Lawrence), who is a member of the Oversight and Reform Committee.
Mrs. LAWRENCE. Madam Speaker, I rise here today in strong support of Juneteenth National Independence Day.
I want to say to my White colleague on the other side: Getting your independence from being enslaved in a country is different from a country getting independence to rule themselves. It is not a day that you can loop together. That is inappropriate.
It is a day for reflection and commemorating the end of slavery. It is also a recognition that we have so much work to do to rid this country of systemic racism, discrimination, and hate.
Let's talk about the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act and H.R. 4, the John Lewis Voting Rights Act. We still have much work to do.
Juneteenth, what we are doing today, should empower us to fight even harder every single day for criminal justice reform, for racial equality, and for economic empowerment of Black people in America.
We are still today living through the blatant racism and slavery that denied us education, denied us opportunity for economic development and empowerment for ourselves, and denied us the right to have a job and own property. It is still today an issue in America.
We have a responsibility to teach every generation of Black and White Americans the pride of a people who have survived, endured, and succeeded in these United States of America despite slavery.
Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on this legislation because Black history is American history. We cannot hold our heads and try to ignore the sins of this country, but we can come together and celebrate a time when we made the right decision.
Mr. COMER. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Lee), who is a cardinal on the Appropriations Committee.
Ms. LEE of California. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding.
Madam Speaker, I thank Congresswoman Sheila Jackson for her persistent and consistent leadership on so many issues, especially getting this bill to the floor today.
As another daughter of Texas, I am deeply connected to the history of Juneteenth. My grandfather, William Calhoun Parish, who helped raise me, was born in Galveston, Texas, just 10 years after General Granger announced that enslaved Africans were freed from the brutal and barbaric legal institution of slavery. My ancestors--my great-
grandmother--were enslaved in and around Galveston, Texas.
Like myself, so many in the African-American community have celebrated Juneteenth as our liberation day. To us, it represents the day that enslaved African Americans were recognized as free men, women, and children.
Yet, the end of slavery did not stop with the brutal treatment of African Americans in the United States. The persistence of racial disparities in housing, income, education, the wealth gap, and other areas of injustices African Americans really are experiencing today are a direct result of the racism embedded in our institutions from our founding.
So, it is not purely symbolic to make Juneteenth a holiday. It is an important step toward the country reckoning the truth of its legacy of slavery in the past as manifested today.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Ms. Jackson Lee). The time of the gentlewoman has expired.
Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York. Madam Speaker, I yield the gentlewoman an additional 30 seconds.
Ms. LEE of California. It is manifested in the racial injustices which all of us must work together to end. So, yes, it is so important that we have the truth told of this legacy of slavery so that we can move forward and work together to end these racial injustices.
I am reminded of Dr. Maya Angelou and what she once wrote. She said,
``I am the dream and the hope of the slave. I rise,'' in ``Still I Rise.''
Madam Speaker, I want to thank you today for bringing this forward, and I thank the chairwoman for yielding.
Mr. COMER. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the distinguished gentlewoman from Ohio (Mrs. Beatty), who is the chair of the Congressional Black Caucus.
Mrs. BEATTY. Madam Speaker, we cannot change the future if we can't acknowledge the past. Juneteenth is the oldest nationally celebrated and commemorated ending of slavery in the United States. Emancipation did not free all slaves, only those in the Confederate States. Independence is freedom for all people.
I rise today in strong support of S. 475, a top priority of the Congressional Black Caucus, to enshrine Juneteenth as a legal public holiday and a bill with tremendous historical implications for our Nation.
Madam Speaker, I thank you, Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, a member of the Congressional Black Caucus, for your work.
I thank Speaker Nancy Pelosi for speaking truth to power on this floor.
Lastly, as the chair of the powerful Congressional Black Caucus, I stand here leading our 58 members saying to you: We are the conscience of the Congress.
And today, I ask all of my Members to join us. Let us unite and pass this bill.
Mr. COMER. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the distinguished gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Butterfield), who is a former civil rights attorney, judge, and chair of the Congressional Black Caucus.
Mr. BUTTERFIELD. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding.
Madam Speaker, on January 1, 1863, President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation to emancipate 4 million slaves residing in the 11 Southern States that were combatants against the Union.
The proclamation was significant but not totally effective. It did not include slaves who resided in the States that were not in rebellion. Lincoln was of the opinion he could only use his authority against the States who were rebelling.
In addition, there was doubt about the legal efficacy of the proclamation since Congress had not participated. There were legal questions of whether the proclamation would expire following Lincoln's Presidency and, very importantly, whether States would not free slaves without Federal intervention.
Juneteenth is significant because it marks the day when Federal troops arrived in Galveston to take control of the State and ensure that all enslaved people were free. These Federal troops arrived 2\1/2\ years after the signing of the proclamation.
By passing this legislation, Madam Speaker, every American can now better understand the African Americans' struggle for freedom and full citizenship. Every American can now participate in recognizing the end to slavery in America.
Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on this legislation.
Mr. COMER. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York. Madam Speaker, may I inquire how much time remains.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman from Kentucky has 15 minutes remaining. The gentlewoman from New York has 6 minutes remaining.
Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the distinguished gentleman from New York (Mr. Espaillat), who is a member of the Appropriations Committee.
Mr. ESPAILLAT. Madam Speaker, I enthusiastically support the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act.
I am glad that Congress is finally taking action to formally memorialize Juneteenth as a Federal holiday just a year after my home State of New York took this step.
Juneteenth is a reminder of a sad chapter in our history but one that we overcame, and this holiday will be a reminder that our freedom is not guaranteed but rather something that we will always fight for.
While this new holiday is an important step, in the backdrop, there are numerous efforts underway to limit the teaching of uncomfortable parts of our history, and there is an insidious plan to restrict the most important of our rights, the right to vote. Let this new holiday be not just a reminder but also a call to action that we must continue to work to secure our rights and freedoms.
{time} 1845
Mr. COMER. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. David Scott), the chair of the Agriculture Committee.
Mr. DAVID SCOTT of Georgia. Madam Speaker, let me say to some of my Republican friends: If our African-American slave ancestors were here today, they would say to you:
You know, them that's got should get, and them that's not should lose, because the Bible says, and it still is news, your mama may have, and your papa may have, but God bless the child that's got his own.
God bless the child who can say I am free. Two hundred years in the deep slavery south, but God put hope in our hearts and a song in our mouths. All we are asking is for you to express the feeling and the depths of the African-American people today who need you, all of us, White and Black Members of Congress, to stand together and vote
``yes.''
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The time of the gentleman has expired.
Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York. Madam Speaker, I yield an additional 30 seconds to the gentleman from Georgia.
Mr. DAVID SCOTT of Georgia. Vote ``yes.'' And by doing so, you will say not: This is my country.
You will say in one united voice: This is our country, Black and White. This is our country, the greatest country, and we thank God Almighty for this blessing.
Please, let us do as the Senate. Vote unanimously for passage of this bill.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Members are reminded to address their remarks to the Chair.
Mr. COMER. Madam Speaker, I continue to reserve the balance of my time.
Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from New Jersey (Mrs. Watson Coleman).
Mrs. WATSON COLEMAN. Madam Speaker, Juneteenth is a day for me of commemoration, not of celebration, because it reminds us of something that was delayed in happening.
It also reminds me of what we don't have today, and that is full access to justice, freedom, and equality. All of these are often in short supply as it relates to the Black community, and it is still delayed.
So, as we take this time to acknowledge Juneteenth and to recognize Juneteenth National Independence Day Act--something I definitely support--I pray that we do not lose track of the fact that we have so much more work to do to ensure that we have the fairness, the equality, the opportunity, whether it is voting, working, or just living healthfully in the United States of America.
Mr. COMER. Madam Speaker, I continue to reserve the balance of my time.
Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Veasey).
Mr. VEASEY. Madam Speaker, as a Texan, this is obviously a very important day for me, and I am going to tell you what Juneteenth symbolizes for me.
Juneteenth symbolizes 100 years of oppression that we faced after June 19, 1865, after General Granger made his announcement in Galveston, Texas.
It symbolizes Barbara Jordan coming to the United States House of Representatives, the first Black woman from the south, 100 years after June 19, 1865.
It symbolizes three teenagers who died, handcuffed by law enforcement, in a boat in Mexia, Texas, at a Juneteenth gathering after they were arrested for celebrating this day with their family in 1981; over 100 years after June 19, 1865.
It symbolizes Opal Lee, from Fort Worth, Texas, long known as the mother of Juneteenth in Fort Worth, and now known nationally for her endeavors to help make today possible.
Someone mentioned the George Floyd Policing Bill earlier. And I want to tell you, Madam Speaker, things aren't perfect. That police officer who handcuffed those teenagers and put them in that boat, he just retired a couple of years ago from law enforcement. George Floyd fixes that.
So while we celebrate what is about to become, with the Juneteenth holiday today, we know that we have a long way to go. But hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, June 19, 1865, finally being enshrined in our national heritage.
Mr. COMER. Madam Speaker, I continue to reserve the balance of my time.
Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Waters), the chair of the Financial Services Committee.
Ms. WATERS. Madam Speaker, I rushed to the floor to be a part of absolutely indicating my support for this important legislation, the Juneteenth National Independence Day. I am so pleased that we take this step today to honor the day and the month that the information of the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation reached enslaved people in Texas. It took more than 2 years before the news reached them.
Juneteenth is a State holiday in the State of Texas. It was authored by my friend, Al Edwards, who is since deceased. I wish he was alive today to witness this debate that is taking place on the floor of the Congress of the United States that will lead to the passage of the legislation that will make Juneteenth a national holiday.
I was a little bit concerned when I heard some of the Members be opposed to the way that the bill is titled. They didn't like the word
``independence'' that is in there because these are patriots and they want to protect Independence Day and not have it mistaken in any way.
But where were these patriots when the Capitol was being violated?
Where were these patriots when the noose was hung, in plain view, for everybody to see, where slaves and people of color had lost their lives because they were hung, et cetera, et cetera?
I want you to know that patriotism should be demonstrated all of the time. If you cannot demonstrate your patriotism when your Capitol is invaded, when the insurrection took place, then I question your patriotism.
Mr. COMER. Madam Speaker, I continue to reserve the balance of my time.
Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York. Madam Speaker, I have no further speakers and I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. COMER. Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
I join my House colleagues in recognizing the significance of Juneteenth as a national holiday. This is significant legislation. The vast majority of States already recognize the day as a holiday, or observe it, and establishing a Federal holiday mostly impacts the Federal workforce. I, therefore, support moving forward to designate this new Federal holiday. It is a day worthy of all Americans' support.
I want to congratulate those who have worked so hard to make this happen.
Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York. Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
In closing, I want to thank my good friend and colleague, Sheila Jackson Lee, who had the honor of presiding in the Speaker's chair over this important historic legislation on which she worked for over a decade. Her bill, H.R. 1320, to establish Juneteenth Independence Day, has well over 166 cosponsors and bipartisan support.
I, likewise, want to thank the Congressional Black Caucus for their leadership on this and for their leadership on so many other important issues to our Nation.
Juneteenth is celebrated across our Nation. It marks the end of a very dark chapter in our Nation's history and celebrates the promise of a more hopeful and inclusive tomorrow. I am elated that this bill is before the House.
I urge passage of S. 475. I urge bipartisan support, and I hope this vote is unanimous and victorious.
Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. DANNY K. DAVIS of Illinois. Madam Speaker, Rev. Ronald V. `Doc' Myers, Sr., M.D. (February 29, 1956--September 7, 2018), was the first ordained and commissioned medical missionary to America's poorest region, the Mississippi Delta, by the Wisconsin Baptist Pastors Conference and Pilgrim Rest Missionary Baptist Church, in Milwaukee, in 1990.
Rev. Myers was the founder of numerous medical and cultural organizations and a committed physician serving the poorest Americans through clinics in Tchula, Belzoni, Yazoo City, Indianola, Greenville and Tupelo, Mississippi. `Doc' was also a jazz musician, composer and human rights activist. The New York Times stated, ``There aren't many doctors like Ronald Myers, a jazz-playing, Baptist-preaching, family practitioner whose dream has always been to practice medicine in the kind of place most other doctors wouldn't even stop for a tank of gas.''
In 1994 a group of community leaders from across the country gathered at Christian Unity Baptist Church in New Orleans, to work for greater national recognition of Juneteenth, a holiday celebrating the end of slavery. Myers was elected Chairman of this advocacy effort which lead to the establishment of the National Juneteenth Observance Foundation and his recognition as the leader of the ``Modern Juneteenth Movement'' in America. Doc was instrumental in the passage of 45 of the 49 state and District of Columbia's pieces of legislation naming Juneteenth as a Day of Observance in this country.
Working with the Black Congressional Caucus which included Illinois Senator Barack Obama and Representative Danny Davis, he sought legislation to recognize Juneteenth Independence, hosting the annual Juneteenth Prayer Breakfasts. He established the Washington Juneteenth National Holiday Observance and the National Day of Reconciliation & Healing From the Legacy of Enslavement, which includes the National Juneteenth Black Holocaust ``Maafa'' Memorial Service.
Dr. Myers organized the National Association of Juneteenth Jazz Presenters, and the Fellowship of Creative Christian Jazz Musicians. Under his leadership, the Washington Juneteenth Congressional Event was held by the National Juneteenth Observance Foundation, Juneteenth America, Inc. & the National Association of Juneteenth Jazz Presenters.
An accomplished jazz pianist, trumpeter and composer, Myers performed across the country promoting ``June Is Black Music Month!''--
Celebrating Juneteenth Jazz--``Preserving Our African American Jazz Legacy!''
For over 20 years, Doc met with state politicians, local Juneteenth organizations and community leaders
Charles Taylor, author of Juneteenth said, ``Doc would give a copy of my Juneteenth book to every governor who made Juneteenth a holiday or observance. He even gave Sarah Palin a copy when she was the governor of Alaska after her state recognized Juneteenth.''
At an award ceremony of the Beverly Hills Temple of the Arts at the Saban Theatre, founder Rabbi David Baron said, ``Reverend Dr. Ronald V. Myers is an outstanding living model of all the values for which Martin Luther King stood.''
Ms. NORTON. Madam Speaker, today's bill making Juneteenth, when the last slaves got word that slavery had ended, a federal holiday has unique meaning for the District of Columbia because the slaves here were the first, not the last, to be freed. The reason, of course, is that the District was and is a federally controlled jurisdiction. The District celebrates the emancipation of slaves here on April 16 every year.
Juneteenth should remind Congress that it's time for the first to be freed to finally become equal to other Americans. The House understands that with its passage of the D.C. statehood bill. So does the Senate, with a hearing on our D.C. statehood bill scheduled for next Tuesday, June 22.
With the President, the House, and the Senate all believing that the residents of their Nation's capital should in every way be equal to other Americans, we rejoice this Juneteenth knowing that we are close to adding the 51st star to the flag.
Mr. BISHOP of Georgia. Madam Speaker, on June 19, 1865, in Galveston, Texas, more than two years after President Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation and six months after the passage of the Thirteenth Amendment outlawing slavery, Union Troops seized control of the area and declared all slaves free.
Since then, ``Juneteenth'' has been observed in Texas and in many places as Emancipation Day and the end of slavery in the United States because many of those enslaved had not yet received the news of President Lincoln's January 1, 1863, Emancipation Proclamation.
The news surrounding the Emancipation Proclamation and the end of slavery reached different regions at different times. While many commemorate this occasion on June 19, in areas such as Russell County, Alabama, the date marking the end of slavery is May 28, and as such, locals have established May 28 as a community holiday to celebrate the day of freedom.
For many of the enslaved, in communities across the south, this news was purposefully kept from them--denying them the freedom and rights they were due. It is a dark legacy we see repeating itself today which reminds us that freedom and rights--even that most fundamental right to vote--are precious and precarious.
It has been a long and continuing march towards equality and justice. So long as slavery existed and persisted, our country could never truly live up to its founding ideals of ``life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.'' The great strides made by courageous pioneers such as William Lloyd Garrison, Theodore Parker, John Greenleaf Whittier, James Russell Lowell, William Wells Brown, and Frederick Douglass were among the early steps to realize those ideals in America.
Through Reconstruction, a Civil Rights Movement nearly 100 years later, and up through current efforts to eliminate the residual effects of slavery on the descendants of former slaves, the fight continues into this century. Every step forward seems to have been met with opposition--too often violent opposition--against recognition that
``all men are created equal''. The words of Frederick Douglass ring true today that ``freedom is a constant struggle''.
As we remember the struggles and successes of the past, we must use this occasion to renew our efforts to wipe out the vestiges of slavery that still remain.
Juneteenth is not only a reminder of the end of an odious era in our Nation's history, but a reminder of the work that still needs to be done before we can truly celebrate freedom.
Mr. GREEN of Texas. Madam Speaker, I applaud the United States Senate for unanimously passing legislation to nationally recognize Juneteenth as a federal holiday.
Juneteenth marks the anniversary of General Gordon Granger arriving in Galveston, Texas, and delivering the news of emancipation to enslaved Texans on June 19, 1865.
More than two years after President Lincoln's January 1, 1863 Emancipation Proclamation and more than two months after the end of the civil war, the enslaved in Texas finally received word of their freedom from General Granger, who was backed by 2,000 Union soldiers.
These newly freed persons--the last to receive the news of their emancipation in the Confederate states--started a grassroots celebration in Texas known as `Jubilee Day' to commemorate the life-
altering event. Jubilee celebrations spread throughout the South and eventually to the rest of the country and taking on the moniker
`Juneteenth,' a portmanteau meaning June 19th.
Although official recognition of this day has been slow to come, work by individuals such as the late Al Edwards--former state representative and the father of the Juneteenth holiday in Texas--has led to all but three states recognizing Juneteenth with annual celebratory events.
Now, what began as a grassroots movement to commemorate Texas history is set to become our nation's next federal holiday.
In honor of the Honorable Al Edwards and every person ever enslaved, I eagerly anticipate the opportunity to vote for this legislation on the House floor, and I thank Senator Edward Markey as well as my colleague and friend Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee for introducing this legislation to ensure Juneteenth is nationally recognized.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to House Resolution 479, the previous question is ordered on the bill.
The question is on the third reading of the bill.
The bill was ordered to be read a third time, and was read the third time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on passage of the bill.
The question was taken; and the Speaker pro tempore announced that the ayes appeared to have it.
Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York. Madam Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to section 3(s) of House Resolution 8, the yeas and nays are ordered.
The vote was taken by electronic device, and there were--yeas 415, nays 14, not voting 2, as follows:
YEAS--415
Adams Aderholt Aguilar Allen Allred Amodei Armstrong Arrington Auchincloss Axne Babin Bacon Baird Balderson Banks Barr Barragan Bass Beatty Bentz Bera Bergman Beyer Bice (OK) Bilirakis Bishop (GA) Bishop (NC) Blumenauer Blunt Rochester Boebert Bonamici Bost Bourdeaux Bowman Boyle, Brendan F. Brady Brown Brownley Buchanan Buck Bucshon Budd Burchett Burgess Bush Bustos Butterfield Calvert Cammack Carbajal Cardenas Carl Carson Carter (GA) Carter (LA) Carter (TX) Cartwright Case Casten Castor (FL) Castro (TX) Cawthorn Chabot Cheney Chu Cicilline Clark (MA) Clarke (NY) Cleaver Cline Cloud Clyburn Cohen Cole Comer Connolly Cooper Correa Costa Courtney Craig Crawford Crist Crow Cuellar Curtis Davids (KS) Davidson Davis, Danny K. Davis, Rodney Dean DeFazio DeGette DeLauro DelBene Delgado Demings DeSaulnier Deutch Diaz-Balart Dingell Doggett Donalds Doyle, Michael F. Duncan Dunn Emmer Escobar Eshoo Espaillat Estes Evans Fallon Feenstra Ferguson Fischbach Fitzgerald Fitzpatrick Fleischmann Fletcher Fortenberry Foster Foxx Frankel, Lois Franklin, C. Scott Fulcher Gaetz Gallagher Gallego Garamendi Garbarino Garcia (CA) Garcia (IL) Garcia (TX) Gibbs Gimenez Gohmert Golden Gomez Gonzales, Tony Gonzalez (OH) Gonzalez, Vicente Good (VA) Gooden (TX) Gottheimer Granger Graves (LA) Graves (MO) Green (TN) Green, Al (TX) Greene (GA) Griffith Grijalva Grothman Guest Guthrie Hagedorn Harder (CA) Harris Harshbarger Hartzler Hayes Hern Herrell Herrera Beutler Hice (GA) Higgins (LA) Higgins (NY) Hill Himes Hinson Hollingsworth Horsford Houlahan Hoyer Hudson Huffman Huizenga Issa Jackson Lee Jacobs (CA) Jacobs (NY) Jayapal Jeffries Johnson (GA) Johnson (LA) Johnson (OH) Johnson (SD) Johnson (TX) Jones Jordan Joyce (OH) Joyce (PA) Kahele Kaptur Katko Keating Keller Kelly (IL) Kelly (MS) Kelly (PA) Khanna Kildee Kilmer Kim (CA) Kim (NJ) Kind Kinzinger Kirkpatrick Krishnamoorthi Kuster Kustoff LaHood Lamb Lamborn Langevin Larsen (WA) Larson (CT) Latta LaTurner Lawrence Lawson (FL) Lee (CA) Lee (NV) Leger Fernandez Lesko Letlow Levin (CA) Levin (MI) Lieu Lofgren Long Loudermilk Lowenthal Lucas Luetkemeyer Luria Lynch Mace Malinowski Malliotakis Maloney, Carolyn B. Maloney, Sean Mann Manning Mast Matsui McBath McCarthy McCaul McClain McCollum McEachin McGovern McKinley McNerney Meeks Meijer Meng Meuser Mfume Miller (IL) Miller (WV) Miller-Meeks Moolenaar Mooney Moore (AL) Moore (UT) Moore (WI) Morelle Moulton Mrvan Mullin Murphy (FL) Murphy (NC) Nadler Napolitano Neal Neguse Nehls Newhouse Newman Norcross Nunes O'Halleran Obernolte Ocasio-Cortez Omar Owens Palazzo Pallone Palmer Panetta Pappas Pascrell Payne Pelosi Pence Perlmutter Perry Peters Pfluger Phillips Pingree Pocan Porter Posey Pressley Price (NC) Quigley Raskin Reed Reschenthaler Rice (NY) Rice (SC) Rodgers (WA) Rogers (KY) Rose Ross Rouzer Roybal-Allard Ruiz Ruppersberger Rush Rutherford Ryan Salazar Sanchez Sarbanes Scalise Scanlon Schakowsky Schiff Schneider Schrader Schrier Schweikert Scott (VA) Scott, Austin Scott, David Sessions Sewell Sherman Sherrill Simpson Sires Slotkin Smith (MO) Smith (NE) Smith (NJ) Smith (WA) Smucker Soto Spanberger Spartz Speier Stansbury Stanton Stauber Steel Stefanik Steil Steube Stevens Stewart Strickland Suozzi Swalwell Takano Taylor Tenney Thompson (CA) Thompson (MS) Thompson (PA) Timmons Titus Tlaib Tonko Torres (CA) Torres (NY) Trahan Trone Turner Underwood Upton Valadao Van Drew Van Duyne Vargas Veasey Vela Velazquez Wagner Walberg Walorski Waltz Wasserman Schultz Waters Watson Coleman Weber (TX) Webster (FL) Welch Wenstrup Westerman Wexton Wild Williams (GA) Williams (TX) Wilson (FL) Wilson (SC) Wittman Womack Yarmuth Young Zeldin
NAYS--14
Biggs Brooks Clyde DesJarlais Gosar Jackson LaMalfa Massie McClintock Norman Rogers (AL) Rosendale Roy Tiffany
NOT VOTING--2
Crenshaw McHenry
{time} 1927
So the bill was passed.
The result of the vote was announced as above recorded.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
Members Recorded Pursuant to House Resolution 8, 117th Congress
Barragan (Gallego) Cardenas (Gomez) Cleaver (Davids (KS)) DeSaulnier (Thompson (CA)) Gaetz (Greene (GA)) Gonzalez, Vicente (Gomez) Granger (Arrington) Grijalva (Garcia (IL)) Horsford (Jeffries) Hoyer (Brown) Johnson (TX) (Jeffries) Kim (NJ) (Pallone) Kirkpatrick (Stanton) Langevin (Courtney) Lawson (FL) (Evans) Lieu (Raskin) Lowenthal (Beyer) Meng (Clark (MA)) Mullin (Lucas) Napolitano (Correa) Nehls (Fallon) O'Halleran (Stanton) Payne (Pallone) Porter (Wexton) Roybal-Allard (Escobar) Ruiz (Aguilar) Rush (Underwood) Sewell (DelBene) Sherrill (Pallone) Slotkin (Houlahan) Speier (Scanlon) Strickland (Kilmer) Waltz (Gimenez) Wilson (FL) (Hayes)
____________________
SOURCE: Congressional Record Vol. 167, No. 105
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