Monday, June 21st, 2021
Juneteenth: Congress has passed S.475, Juneteenth National Independence Day, which designates June 19 each year as a federal holiday celebrating Juneteenth. Already a state holiday or an observance in 49 states, Juneteenth commemorates the end of slavery in the United States and was first celebrated in Texas. Juneteenth would become the 11th annual national holiday on the federal calendar. Federal employees would be given June 19 – or the Friday or Monday closest to it – as a paid day off. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) said in a statement that creating the holiday “is a major step forward in recognizing 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.” President Biden has already signed the bill.
2002 Iraq War Authorization: The House passed H.R.256 (268-161), which would reel in presidential war powers by ending the 2002 authorization for use of military force against Iraq. Both the Obama and Trump administrations used the 2002 authorization to partly justify military actions in the Middle East. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) said the legislation will “eliminate the danger of a future administration reaching back into the legal dustbin to use it as a justification for military adventurism. Rep. Michael McCaul (R-TX) said, “A rushed, standalone repeal of our Iraq force authority sends a message of U.S. disengagement that could destabilize Iraq, embolden Iran and strengthen al-Qaida and ISIS.”
LGBTQ Business Equal Credit Enforcement and Investment: The House failed to pass H.R.1443 (248-177) which would have required financial institutions to report certain credit application data to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau for the purposes of enforcing fair lending laws. Specifically, financial institutions must report this data regarding lesbian-, gay-, bisexual-, transgender-, or queer-owned businesses. Currently, this data is reported regarding women-owned, minority-owned, and small businesses. The bill needed 2/3 majority to pass.
