Tina Smith: “reserving the right to object, it is notable to me that we are gathered here today, while in Atlanta we are celebrating…”

“reserving the right to object, it is notable to me that we are gathered here today, while in Atlanta we are celebrating the life of John Lewis. In this moment, I think it is worth remembering that when Congress was debating whether to make a Federal holiday honoring Martin Luther King, Jr.--Dr. King, in the 1980s--people made this same kind of argument about its potential cost. Ronald Reagan made this argument. But President Reagan came around, and he signed into law this bill, and now that holiday is celebrated nationwide as a day of reflection and rededication to progress toward racial justice. Just as the civil rights movement is honored as an important milestone in the history of this country, so should be emancipation. Just as the argument that it is too expensive to give Federal employees a day off was wrong regarding Martin Luther King Day, it is wrong for Juneteenth. And just as Ronald Reagan got on the right side of history, I think that we will get on the right side of history, and we will finally have a full holiday to commemorate Juneteenth, not as a holiday with an asterisk, not as a half holiday, but as a full holiday; therefore, I object to this modification The PRESIDING OFFICER. Objection is heard. Is there objection to the original request? The Senator from Wisconsin.”