Montana’s lone U.S. representative Wednesday afternoon voted againsta bill to establish June 19 as a federal holiday to commemorate the end of slavery in the United States. The proposal passed with overwhelming bipartisan support in the House.
The U.S. Senate unanimously passed a bill Tuesday designating Juneteenth National Independence Day. It now heads to President Joe Biden's desk for his signature.
Montana’s Republican Rep. Matt Rosendale announced his opposition to the proposed Juneteenth legislation in a press release.
“Let’s call an ace an ace. This is an effort by the Left to create a day out of whole cloth to celebrate identity politics as part of its larger efforts to make Critical Race Theory the reigning ideology of our country. Since I believe in treating everyone equally, regardless of race, and that we should be focused on what unites us rather than our differences, I will vote no.”
Forty-eight states, including Montana and Washington, D.C. currently recognize Juneteenth as either a state or ceremonial holiday.