June 18, 2025
WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX), who successfully led the effort in Congress to make Juneteenth a federal holiday, introduced a bipartisan Senate resolution along with 31 of his Senate colleagues recognizing Juneteenth Independence Day. Text is below, and you can view the full resolution here.
“Whereas news of the end of slavery did not reach the frontier areas of the United States, in particular the State of Texas and the other Southwestern States, until months after the conclusion of the Civil War, more than 21⁄2 years after President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863;
Whereas, on June 19, 1865, Union soldiers, led by Major General Gordon Granger, arrived in Galveston, Texas, with news that the Civil War had ended and the enslaved were free;
Whereas African Americans who had been slaves in the Southwest celebrated June 19, commonly known as “Juneteenth National Independence Day,” as inspiration and encouragement for future generations;
Whereas African Americans from the Southwest have continued the tradition of observing Juneteenth National Independence Day for more than 150 years;
Whereas Juneteenth National Independence Day began as a holiday in the State of Texas and is now a Federal holiday that is celebrated in all 50 States and the District of Columbia as a special day of observance in recognition of the emancipation of all slaves in the United States;
Whereas Juneteenth National Independence Day celebrations have been held to honor African-American freedom while encouraging self-development and respect for all cultures;
Whereas the faith and strength of character demonstrated by former slaves and the descendants of former slaves remain an example for all people of the United States, regardless of background, religion, or race;
Whereas slavery was not officially abolished until the ratification of the 13th Amendment to the Constitution of the United States in December 1865; and
Whereas, over the course of its history, the United States has grown into a symbol of democracy and freedom around the world: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Senate—
(1) commemorates June 19, 2025, as “Juneteenth National Independence Day;”
(2) recognizes the historical significance of Juneteenth National Independence Day to the United States;
(3) supports the continued nationwide celebration of Juneteenth National Independence Day to provide an opportunity for the people of the United States to learn more about the past and to better understand the experiences that have shaped the United States; and
(4) recognizes that the observance of the end of slavery is part of the history and heritage of the United States.”
Senators Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Ted Cruz (R-TX), Bill Cassidy (R-LA), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Susan Collins (R-ME), Angus King (I-ME), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Raphael Warnock (D-GA), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Ron Johnson (R-WI), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), Tim Scott (R-SC), John Hoeven (R-ND), Roger Wicker (R-MS), Todd Young (R-IN), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Jim Justice (R-WV), Katie Britt (R-AL), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Alex Padilla (D-CA), and Cory Booker (D-NJ) joined the resolution.
Background:
Sen. Cornyn has been a leader in introducing a resolution honoring Juneteenth each year since 2011. In 2021, Sen. Cornyn’s legislation to establish Juneteenth as a federal holiday was signed into law. He also authored a bill with the late Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee (TX-18) for a federal study of a National Emancipation Trail from Galveston to Houston, following the path of slaves freed on June 19, 1865 to spread the news, which was signed into law in 2020.