The House voted 415-14 on Wednesday to make Juneteenth a federal holiday.
The big picture: The vote comes one day after the Senate unanimously approved the bill and three days before the holiday.
- 14 Republicans voted against the bill.
Catch up quick: Juneteenth, celebrated on June 19, memorializes when the last enslaved people in Texas learned about their freedom under the Emancipation Proclamation.
- 49 states and D.C. already commemorate Juneteenth, but the passage of the bill makes the day a legal federal holiday.
- In June 2020, then-Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.) and Ed Markey (D-Mass.) introduced legislation to make Juneteenth a national holiday.
What's next: The legislation now goes to President Biden for his signature.
Go deeper: States and corporations move to recognize Juneteenth
