This SC congressman was one of 14 who voted against making Juneteenth a federal holiday
Juneteeth, which celebrates the end of slavery in the United States, is now a federal holiday, but a South Carolina congressman was one of 14 Republicans in the House to vote against the measure.
U.S. Rep. Ralph Norman, R-Rock Hill, was the lone member of the South Carolina congressional delegation to vote against making Juneteenth a federal holiday, legislation that President Joe Biden signed Thursday afternoon.
Norman said he objected to the holiday being called “Juneteenth National Independence Day.”
“If you want to call Juneteenth, for example, Freedom Day or Emancipation Day, then fine – that’s certainly worth considering,” Norman said on Twitter. “But calling it Independence Day is WHOLLY INAPPROPIATE.”
Norman also objected to the cost of adding another paid holiday for federal employees.
“When (President) Obama issued an executive order in 2014 giving federal employees an extra day off, that cost the government roughly $660 MILLION dollars, according to the Congressional Budget Office,” Norman tweeted. “So given inflation and the obnoxious growth of the federal government, this means a Juneteenth holiday should easily cost the federal government over a billion dollars Every. Single. Year. in federal payroll & holiday premiums with no offsets!”
The bill passed the Senate without objection on Tuesday. The House voted on Wednesday.
June 19, 1865, is when Union soldiers made it to Galveston, Texas, to tell final slaves they were freed after the South had surrendered in the Civil War.
This story was originally published June 17, 2021 at 4:07 PM.
