Another Useless Holiday Because People Can't Move On

Anjdog2003 · 06-17-2021, 12:53am

WASHINGTON — Legislation to recognize June 19, or "Juneteenth," as a federal holiday passed overwhelmingly in the House of Representatives Wednesday. The bill passed unanimously in the Senate on Tuesday.

Senate Bill 475, the "Juneteenth National Independence Day Act", passed with 415-14 votes. The bill recognizes June 19, 1865, the day enslaved people in Galveston, Texas learned slavery was ended, as a public holiday. President Abraham Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation had freed all enslaved African Americans in rebel states two and a half years earlier.

The bill now heads to President Joe Biden's desk to be signed into law.

The 14 no votes were all from Republican members of Congress. They include:

Rep. Mo Brooks, R-Ala.

Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz.

Rep. Scott DesJarlais, R-Tenn.

Rep. Tom Tiffany, R-Wis.

Rep. Doug LaMalfa, R-Calif.

Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Ala.

Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C.

Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas

Rep. Paul Gosar, R-Ariz.

Rep. Tom McClintock, R-Calif.

Rep. Matt Rosendale, R-Mont.

Rep. Ronny Jackson, R-Texas

Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky.

Rep. Andrew Clyde, R-Ga.

Several of those representatives shared why they were voting against the bill.

Rep. Ronny Jackson, R-Texas, told USA TODAY he thinks there are enough federal holidays.

"We have enough federal holidays right now. I just don't see the reason in doing it," he said. "I don't think it rises to the level I'm going to support it."

Republican Montana Rep. Matt Rosendale released a statement on his vote against S.B. 475.

“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 larger efforts to make Critical Race Theory the reigning ideology of our country. 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,” Rosendale said.

Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., argued that referring to Juneteenth as a national independence day would confuse people.

"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 two days as their independence day based on their racial identity," Massie said on the House floor. "Why can't we name this 'emancipation day' and come together as Americans and celebrate that day together as Americans?"

Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, also objected to the name of the bill.

"Juneteenth should be commemorated as the expression of the realization of the end of slavery in the United States - and I commend those who worked for its passage," Roy said in a statement.

"I could not vote for this bill, however, because the holiday should not be called 'Juneteenth National Independence Day' but rather, 'Juneteenth National Emancipation [or Freedom or otherwise] Day.' This name needlessly divides our nation on a matter that should instead bring us together by creating a separate Independence Day based on the color of one’s skin," he said.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported Rep. Andrew Clyde, the only member of the Georgia delegation to vote no, declined to answer a reporter's question about his vote.

Anjdog2003 · 06-17-2021, 12:54am

Nobody goes to PR&C so i put it here.

snide · 06-17-2021, 5:47am

Quote:

Originally Posted by Anjdog2003

Nobody goes to PR&C so i put it here.

ratflinger · 06-17-2021, 9:38am

Who cares, take the day off & be happy. It's been a state holiday for years here in Texas.

Steve_R · 06-17-2021, 9:52am

I want my birthday to be a national holiday too.

6spdC6 · 06-17-2021, 10:03am

This is just another bullshit form of reparations that these slugs have demanded for years.

Chemtrails99 · 06-17-2021, 11:38am

It's great they finally have a holiday commemorating the first hand out to former slaves in this country. They would have never known if somebody else hadn't told them they were now free. It's not like they actually fought for or earned their freedom. Such a proud day for their culture.

Jeff '79 · 06-17-2021, 11:53am

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chemtrails99

It's great they finally have a holiday commemorating the first hand out to former slaves in this country. They would have never known if somebody else hadn't told them they were now free. It's not like they actually fought for or earned their freedom. Such a proud day for their culture.

You're hilarious.
Maybe you can request a Proud Boys Holiday.
Apparently anything is possible.
America... What country

Steve_R · 06-17-2021, 11:57am

While we're adding new holidays we need a month to celebrate being straight. ~2% of the population is gay and we have a month to celebrate their gayness, so let's have one for the other 98%.

Liberals' heads would explode, which is a bonus.

6spdC6 · 06-17-2021, 12:02pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jeff '79

You're hilarious.
Maybe you can request a Proud Boys Holiday.
Apparently anything is possible.
America... What country

It would have been a lot better if John Wilkes Booth had not killed Lincoln.

Liberia would have had a bigger population and this country would not have near as many problems as it does have.

Torqaholic · 06-17-2021, 1:24pm

The people already "celebrating" that use it as an excuse to victimize white people with extreme violence. So that's going to become an official thing now?

Good luck threatening me, you're going to need it.

Aerovette · 06-17-2021, 1:44pm

Say goodbye to Good Friday.

BLM > Easter

I guess since they won't be going to work that day...nothing will change.

Chemtrails99 · 06-17-2021, 5:05pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jeff '79

You're hilarious.
Maybe you can request a Proud Boys Holiday.
Apparently anything is possible.
America... What country

How am I wrong? Had they actually been there fighting for their freedom, they would have already known they were free, wouldn't they?

What other group of people, ever, has not fought for themselves and still been handed freedom....Which was only a starting point for them complaining and demanding more freebies?

MadInNc · 06-17-2021, 6:07pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by Steve_R

While we're adding new holidays we need a month to celebrate being straight. ~2% of the population is gay and we have a month to celebrate their gayness, so let's have one for the other 98%.

Liberals' heads would explode, which is a bonus.

WLM

BayouCountry · 06-17-2021, 7:17pm

The elite and government workers get themselves another holiday at our expense while the peon sheep, who vote for these elites, don't even realize what just happened.

Even Tom McClintock, a down to earth guy, voted for an extra day off for his staff.

It opens old wounds and cheapens MLK. I guess that is what it's supposed to do.

Quote:

The House vote came after the Senate -- in a surprise move Tuesday -- passed the measure by unanimous consent following a single Republican senator dropping his opposition.

That, or be labeled a racist.
https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/cong...ry?id=78324593

BayouCountry · 06-17-2021, 7:33pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by ratflinger

Who cares, take the day off & be happy. It's been a state holiday for years here in Texas.

That's all good for Texas. I just don't want my federal tax dollars used on a holiday that opens old wounds and will be used by race hustlers to persuade people they can't achieve the American dream because of past events.