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House passes bill making Juneteenth a federal holiday

Jun. 16, 2021 11:31PM EST
 Dan Ackermann

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

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