Beatty Advances Tubman on the Twenty Legislation
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, legislation authored by U.S. Congresswoman and Congressional Black Caucus Chair Joyce Beatty (OH-03) to provide Americans a public draft of the upcoming twenty dollar note featuring abolitionist Harriet Tubman passed the House as part of a six-bill appropriations minibus. The provision was adopted as an amendment to the bill, H.R. 8294. First announced in 2016, work on the “Tubman Twenty” was paused under the Trump Administration. While the Biden Administration pledged to accelerate the rollout, Americans have still not seen any official designs for the long-promised note.
“Six years after Americans celebrated Harriet Tubman’s selection to replace Andrew Jackson on the twenty dollar bill, we are no closer to knowing when we will see the bill or what it will look like,” said Beatty. “After the Trump Administration paused work on the redesign, people are rightfully concerned this much-needed update to our currency may never see the light of day. I’m proud I was able to include language in the appropriations minibus pushing Treasury to release a design. This will move the bill one step closer to circulation.”
Beatty continued, “As we work to dismantle systemic racism, replacing slave-owner Andrew Jackson with a heroic Black woman like Harriet Tubman is an easy move. Americans are excited to see this update, and I am hopeful they will soon see the progress the Treasury is making.”
Throughout her time in Congress, Beatty has fought to secure a woman on our nation's currency. In June 2015, she introduced the original Woman on the Twenty Act, directing the Secretary of Treasury to create a citizens' panel to recommend a woman to be placed on a $20 bill. That same year, she spoke from the House floor in support of putting Harriet Tubman on the new $20. In April 2016, Beatty wrote a letter then- Treasury Secretary Jack Lew calling on the Department to fast track the new note and have it in circulation by 2020. In 2017, Beatty wrote then-Secretary Mnuchin, urging him to recommit to the redesign of the twenty-dollar bill featuring Harriet Tubman. In 2019, Beatty led a press conference, joined by a group of more than 30 Members of Congress, on the steps of the U.S. Department of Treasury to demand the change. This Congress, she took her actions a step further, authoring an updated version of the Woman on the Twenty Act to prohibit any new $20s from being printed without an image of Tubman. In July 2021, Beatty sent a letter to Secretary Janet Yellen calling on the U.S. Department of Treasury to provide an updated timeline for the reveal and circulation of all Federal Reserve notes currently undergoing the redesign process.
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