WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA), John Cornyn (R-TX), and 42 colleagues introduced a resolution recognizing, June 19, 2024, as Juneteenth Independence Day.
“[N]ews of the end of slavery did not reach the frontier areas of the United States, in particular the State of Texas and the other Southwestern States, until months after the conclusion of the Civil War, more than 2.5 years after President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863,” stated the resolution.
“Juneteenth Independence Day began as a holiday in the State of Texas and is now celebrated in all 50 States and the District of Columbia as a special day of observance in recognition of the emancipation of all slaves in the United States,” continued the resolution.
The resolution:
- Recognizes the historical significance of Juneteenth Independence Day to the United States;
- Supports the continued nationwide celebration of Juneteenth Independence Day to provide an opportunity for the people of the United States to learn more about the past and to better understand the experiences that have shaped the United States; and
- recognizes that the observance of the end of slavery is part of the history and heritage of the United States.
Cassidy and Cornyn were joined by U.S. Senators Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Roger Wicker (R-MS), Marco Rubio (R-FL), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Ron Johnson (R-WI), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Christopher Coons (D-DE), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Angus King (I-ME), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Susan Collins (R-ME), Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Thomas Carper (D-DE), Tina Smith (D-MN), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), Raphael Warnock (D-GA), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Bernard Sanders (I-VT), Deb Fischer (R-NE), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), John Hoeven (R-ND), Todd Young (R-IN), Benjamin Cardin (D-MD), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Bill Hagerty (R-TN), Christopher Murphy (D-CT), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Laphonza Butler (D-CA), Bob Casey (D-PA), Gary Peters (D-MI), Ron Wyden (D-OR), and Tim Scott (R-SC) in introducing the resolution.
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