Two Arizona Congressional representatives voted against a measure Wednesday to designate Juneteenth a national holiday.
The law, which passed, will provide federal recognition for the day slaves in Galveston Texas discovered they had been freed more than a half years after the Emancipation Proclamation was established. Representatives Paul Gosar and Andy Biggs were two of 14 Republican Representatives to vote against the bill; Gosar released a statement saying the designation would increase cultural divides in the country. Congress nevertheless approved the bill, with 415 votes in favor from the House of Representatives and a unanimous senate vote. June 19th will now be recognized as Juneteenth National Independence Day.
