Tina Smith: “I thank my colleague from Maryland. I rise today in gratitude because last night the Senate put us one step forward to…”

“I thank my colleague from Maryland. I rise today in gratitude because last night the Senate put us one step forward to finally making Juneteenth a Federal holiday. Juneteenth is our Nation's oldest celebration of emancipation, and it should have been established as a Federal holiday long ago. So I am glad that yesterday the Senate passed our bill, with Senator Markey and Senator Booker, the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act, by unanimous consent. The end of slavery in this country is a central milestone in our history, and Juneteenth should be commemorated nationwide as a day of celebration and reflection and rededication to the cause of racial justice in this country. I am forever grateful to the generations of activists who made this possible, and, in particular, I want to thank Ms. Opal Lee, who at 89 years old walked halfway across this country to rise in support of Juneteenth as a Federal holiday. Yesterday, I had the opportunity to call Ms. Lee, now in her nineties, after this bill cleared the Senate, and I wish you could have heard the sound of joy in her voice when I told her the good news. This is a memory that I know I am going to treasure for the rest of my life. So to Ms. Lee, if you are listening here today, I want to tell you that I have been honored to support your moral cause here in the Senate, and I hope to celebrate Juneteenth as an official Federal holiday with you soon.…”