Congress votes overwhelmingly to make Juneteenth a federal holiday.

[BumRushDaShow]

Last edited Wed Jun 16, 2021, 08:18 PM - Edit history (1)

Source: Washington Post

Congress on Wednesday voted overwhelmingly to establish Juneteenth as a federal holiday, elevating the day marking the end of slavery in Texas to a national commemoration of emancipation amid a larger reckoning about America’s turbulent history with racism.

It is the first new federal holiday created by Congress since 1983, when lawmakers voted to establish Martin Luther King Jr. Day after a 15-year fight to commemorate the assassinated civil rights leader.

The Congressional fight to establish Juneteenth as a national holiday was, in comparison, a relatively rapid affair — approved Wednesday by the House just a day after a bill establishing the holiday moved suddenly and unanimously through the Senate. The push to establish June 16 as a national holiday celebrating emancipation only gained serious traction last year, as the nation erupted in turmoil over the killing of George Floyd, a Black man, by a white Minneapolis police officer.

“Juneteenth is a recognition that darkness can come to light, that there is a celebration as my forefathers and mothers struggled to endure the horror they experienced,” said Rep. Danny K. Davis (D-Ill.), a longtime proponent of the holiday. “And so celebrating Juneteenth as a national holiday is simply an idea whose time has come.”

Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/juneteenth-federal-holiday/2021/06/16/7be284d8-ceba-11eb-a7f1-52b8870bef7c_story.html

---

Full headline: Congress votes overwhelmingly to make Juneteenth a federal holiday. The day commemorates the end of slavery in Texas in 1865.



ETA - the House vote was 415 to 14. The article also noted (and I think most of us remember this well) that it took 15 years to get the MLK holiday and that was finally passed under Raygun in 1983. And then when they did it, they combined Washington's and Lincoln's birthdays to be "President's Day", IIRC to keep it at 10 Federal holidays.

[greatauntoftriplets]

1. I'm shocked.

Danny Davis is my congressman.

[frazzled]

8. He's mine, too

First time I’ve heard him quoted in years.

[greatauntoftriplets]

14. Me either.

I'm on his email list and get updates from his new chief of staff. But I haven't seen him quoted in the Tribune, or any national publications.

Speaking of the Tribune, have you heard that Eric Zorn and a number of other big names are leaving? Not John Kass, of course.

[frazzled]

26. Well, they were bought by that awful hedge fund recently

We’re going to cancel our subscription soon

[greatauntoftriplets]

27. That seems to be the reason, but at least they're being offered buyouts.

I'm considering canceling, too.

[no_hypocrisy]

2. Waiting for Trump to announce that he'll veto it.

[dweller]

6. I'm waiting for the states

to say it will be illegal to celebrate it, talk about it, or teach its history …


✌🏻

[LenaBaby61]

10. "Waiting for Trump to announce that he'll veto it."

😂😂

[madamesilverspurs]

3. It was a joy to watch Sheila Jackson Lee announce the vote result.

Last edited Wed Jun 16, 2021, 09:03 PM - Edit history (1)

One of those eminently memorable moments so long in coming. Somewhere John Lewis is smiling.


.

[BumRushDaShow]

7. The bigger shock was that it passed by unanimous consent in the Senate yesterday

Apparently the usuals weren't paying attention to put a block on it and/or find some way to slow it down and drag it out.

[TlalocW]

4. Reports of something rotating very fast interspersed with muffled yells of "NOOOO!"

Coming from John McCain's grave.

TlalocW

[smb]

5. Example Of GQP "Logic"

Several House conservatives rose Wednesday to lodge objections based on the formal name of the bill creating the holiday, the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act. That, they said would detract from the significance of July 4, and one member, Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.), said it would “create confusion and push Americans to pick one of those two days as their independence day

[IcyPeas]

9. No Votes here:

No votes

Biggs
Brooks
Clyde
DesJarlais
Gosar
Jackson
LaMalfa
Massie
McClintock
Norman
Rogers (Ala.)
Rosendale
Roy
Tiffany

Link to tweet

[greatauntoftriplets]

15. Boebert and Taylor-Greene voted for it?

[BradAllison]

11. Republicans are going to claim this as their holiday.

"Party of Lincoln, blah blah blah".

I know Trump supporters who claim while steaming about BLM "the blacks" do not appreciate what white people have done for them. Specifically "we" freed them.

[joetheman]

12. A simple distraction from all the voting oppressions going on. nt

[Cha]

13. Excellent TY BRDS!

[appalachiablue]

16. K/R Bravo!

[LetMyPeopleVote]

17. President Biden will sign the law making #Juneteenth a federal holiday on Thursday at 3:30 p.m. ET

Link to tweet

[BumRushDaShow]

18. And in contrast to the MLK holiday

as soon as he signs it, it goes into effect and tomorrow will be a federal holiday.

It took 3 years after signature before the MLK holiday was effective, and finally observed per that legislation (in 1986, which was early in my federal career).

[MichMan]

28. June 19th is a Sunday this year.

Why is tomorrow the holiday?

[BumRushDaShow]

30. Because June 19th is on a Saturday and not a Sunday?

[MichMan]

34. I was off a day; happens when you are recently retired

My point is still the same. Shouldn't the holiday be Saturday then?

[BumRushDaShow]

35. I am a retired fed

and this is standard for holidays with "fixed" dates like -

Christmas Day - December 25
New Year's Day - January 1
Independence Day - July 4
Veteran's Day - November 11

where if that DATE falls on a Saturday, then the holiday is celebrated on the Friday before and if it occurs on a Sunday, then the holiday is celebrated on that following Monday.

"Juneteenth" is being designated as a "fixed" date holiday of June 19th and it will be celebrated on a business day of the week (Monday - Friday).

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

19. Link hits a paywall. What kind of holiday is it?

Is it a full-blown "most people get the day off" holiday, like Labor Day?

Is it a "government worker" holiday, like Columbus Day, where most non-government workers still work, but no mail is delivered?

Or is it a holiday "in name only" where everyone goes to work, like Veterans Day?

[BumRushDaShow]

20. I think all Federal holidays are "optional" for private businesses

The key thing here is that federal functions (except for emergencies, critical, special events, etc) are CLOSED on a federal holiday and that would include this one.

I.e., post offices and other federal offices will be closed.

That is why I did the jaw drop. The last holiday was MLK's Birthday and that was signed in 1983 (after 15 years to get there) and went into effect in 1986.

ETA to note that "Veteran's Day" is a federal holiday where post offices, etc are closed but like New Year's and Christmas Day, is a "fixed" date and will move around through different days of the week each year. In those cases, if the fixed date is on a Saturday, the day celebrated is that Friday and if it is on Sunday, the day celebrated will be that following Monday.

[bucolic_frolic]

21. That is great news

Not to diminish it with a snarky comment, but we are adding holidays over time. Soon there'll be one almost every month. Why did they combine Washington and Lincoln birthdays into one?

Are we slowly moving to a 4 day workweek, living off accumulating technology? Because there isn't enough work for everyone at 40 hours per.

[BumRushDaShow]

22. Back when they did the MLK holiday under Raygun

they insisted they were only going to have "10" federal holidays. So they combined the holidays for Washington's and Lincoln's birthday (both in February) to be "President's Day" to make way for the MLK holiday.

So it was doubly shocking to me that they are leaving it at 11.

IMHO they need to make Election Day (general election) a holiday.

[bucolic_frolic]

23. Ah, so GOP can turn down Election Day holiday now that Juneteenth is a holiday

So predictable.

[BumRushDaShow]

24. I wouldn't be surprised if that was the (unspoken) impetus

But as a note, theoretically "federal" holidays impact federal functions only and everyone else ("private" ) is free to ignore them. I.e., all the stores open on Thanksgiving Day (a federal holiday) or Memorial Day (a federal holiday), etc.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

25. Meet the Artist Behind Galveston's New Juneteenth Mural

Donny Ferguson Retweeted

Super excited to share my first freelance piece for
@TexasMonthly
: In Galveston, the birthplace of Juneteenth, a mural now stands honoring the history.

"Everybody and their mama needs to know what Juneteenth is about," says Reginald Adams, the artist.

Link to tweet

[BumRushDaShow]

31. I've actually been to Galveston a little over 25 years ago

for a work-related trip. The fireants weren't pretty.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

32. The one and only time I was there was in February 1994. It was nice and warm. NT

[BumRushDaShow]

33. I was there in September

the following year and the forecast for the week was -

Monday - partly cloudy, high 95
Tuesday - partly cloudy, high 96
Wednesday - mostly sunny, high 95
Thursday... well you get the picture...

At least the water in the Gulf was something like 85F.

[dalton99a]

29. Kick