S.475, a bill that would make Juneteenth a nationally-recognized holiday, was unanimously passed by the U.S. Senate on Tuesday.
A date for the vote in the Democrat-led House of Representatives has not yet been announced, but the bill is expected to pass similarly.
Juneteenth, created 6 months before the 13th Amendment abolished slavery, has become a symbol for the end of slavery.
Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis. voted in favor of the bill, despite his displeasure over the added cost of paying federal employees on a day off.
Johnson previously opposed the bill due to the cost of paying federal employees for a day off at the cost of Americans.
Though Juneteenth has always existed, the push for it to become a federal holiday came after the death of George Floyd who was murdered by former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin.
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