Harriet Tubman will land on the $20 bill, and there is nothing Steve King and Donald Trump can do about it. Controversial Republican Congressman Steve King of Iowa has been on a crusade to make sure that the abolitionist and humanitarian is not included on the bill, but House Speaker Paul Ryan has decided that there will not be a vote on the matter.
Steve King has made it clear, he is a conservative, who loves the old days, which is why he does not want Harriet Tubman, a black woman, a slave, who rescued other slaves on the $20 bill.
Congressman King, of Iowa, has been pushing a controversial amendment to a bill funding the Treasury Department to stop the department from redesigning any currency to showcase Tubman, and it failed. On Tuesday night, Republican lawmakers on the Rules Committee surprised many by denying King’s amendment the opportunity even to be heard on the floor, much less getting a vote.
Needless to say, the anti-immigration crusader gave reporters an earful after his attempt to block Tubman failed. He pulled out a $20 bill from his pocket and said:
“It’s not about Harriet Tubman, it’s about keeping the picture on the $20. Y’know? Why would you want to change that? I am a conservative, I like to keep what we have.”
It was a long and disappointing night for Mr. King, so maybe he was tired because the remainder of his words lacked clarity. He continued with:
“…it is racist and sexist to say a woman or person of color should be added to currency. Here’s what’s really happening: This is liberal activism on the part of the president that’s trying to identify people by categories, and he’s divided us on the lines of groups. … This is a divisive proposal on the part of the president, and mine’s unifying. It says just don’t change anything.”
In an attempt to explain why he needs to keep President Andrew Jackson on the bill, he took a swipe at the current president of the United States, Barack Obama. King stated:
“President Obama’s on his way out the door. He’s going to do everything he can think of to upset this society and this civilization.”
In April, after countless polls, petitions, and requests, the Treasury Department made the news official, the image of Jackson will be moved to the back of the $20 note, replacing him with Tubman, who was an:
“abolitionist, humanitarian, and an armed scout and spy for the United States Army during the American Civil War. Born into slavery, Tubman escaped and subsequently made some thirteen missions to rescue approximately seventy enslaved families and friends, using the network of antislavery activists and safe houses known as the Underground Railroad. She later helped abolitionist John Brown recruit men for his raid on Harpers Ferry, and in the post-war era was an active participant in the struggle for women’s suffrage.”
Presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump agrees with King and said that the move is “pure political correctness.” Trump would prefer if Tubman was figured on the $2 bill.
