The U.S. House of Representatives has voted to designate Juneteenth as a federal holiday, one day after the Senate unanimously voted for its passage. President Biden quickly signed the bill into law on June 17, making this year’s Juneteenth the first national recognition of Black Independence Day in the United States.
Dareh Gregorian and Haley Talbot of NBC News reported that the House vote passed by an incredibly wide margin of 415-14.
The 14 Representatives who voted against making Juneteenth a federal holiday were all middle-aged white Republican men. The 14 individuals were:
