Senate passes bill to make Juneteenth a federal holiday

The Senate on Tuesday passed legislation to recognize Juneteenth as a legal public holiday.

“Making Juneteenth a federal holiday is a major step forward to recognize the wrongs of the past — but we must continue to work to ensure equal justice and fulfill the promise of the Emancipation Proclamation and our Constitution,” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said in a statement.

The measure, sponsored by Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) and cosponsored by a bipartisan group of 60 senators, cleared the upper chamber by unanimous consent, meaning no lawmaker objected to its passage.