Biden Signs Bill Making Juneteenth a Federal Holiday
WASHINGTON, D.C. (CBS News) -- President Biden on Thursday signed into law a measure that makes June 19, or Juneteenth, a federal holiday commemorating the end of slavery in the United States.
The bill, the Juneteenth Independence Day Act, headed to Mr. Biden's desk after it overwhelmingly passed the House on Wednesday and the Senate on Tuesday. Fourteen Republicans opposed the legislation in the House. Vice President Harris also marked the event.
"As we establish Juneteenth as our newest national holiday, let us be clear about what happened on June 19, 1865, the day we call Juneteenth," Harris said, speaking of how the enslaved people of Galveston, Texas, became free.
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