Juneteenth National Independence Day Act

Floor Speech

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Mr. HIGGINS of Louisiana. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the holiday and in objection to the means by which the Democrats have brought this to the floor.

It is just wrong that this holiday, which should be recognized-- arguments against it are vacuous. A CBO score is not real because it doesn't recognize the productivity of Americans during a holiday week in anticipation of a holiday and increased productivity after the holiday, and it doesn't recognize the positive impact of the economy by those who celebrate the holiday, and the money they spend.

So, the CBO score is not an argument. We support the holiday. But why would the Democrats want to politicize this by co-opting the name of our sacred holiday of Independence Day. Why would it not be named the Juneteenth National Emancipation Day? Why would we want to inject conflict about this?

I don't understand this body and the way it moves forward contrary to the best interests of the American people. We all support the holiday. I am voting in support of the bill, but the objection--and my Democrat friends know this--the objection would be to the naming of the bill.

Where would that have been confronted? In committee. But this bill was not brought to committee, was it? It was brought directly to the floor for a vote, a trap set by my Democratic colleagues for conservatives on this side of the aisle who they knew would object to the naming of this bill and the co-opting of our Independence Day. They did not bring it through committee where we could have this conversation legitimately and for the historical record.

Everyone on the Committee on Oversight and Reform, we have jurisdiction over national holidays. We would have wanted to speak on this. We would have wanted to offer amendments. Did that happen? No. Were our amendments accepted? No, because this was brought directly to the floor.

That is what is wrong with this body. That is what is wrong about this bizarre realm of Washington, D.C.

Despite that, we are going to support the bill. I am going to support the bill because I support the holiday, and I support the Black communities. My Black brothers and sisters, Americans all, have been celebrating this holiday for 100 years. What is wrong with that? It is recognized by most States in the Union. This legislation just brings the Federal Government more in alignment with the sovereign States, which as a constitutionalist, I certainly support.

Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York.

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