President Biden hopes to have 19th-century abolitionist Harriet Tubman adorn the $20 bill, replacing former President Andrew Jackson.
While in office, former President Barack Obama pushed for Tubman to replace Jackson, and in 2016 the Treasury Department announced plans to release a “final concept design” for the Tubman $20 in 2020, the year marking the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment. Despite the effort, former President Donald Trump’s treasury secretary, Steven Mnuchin, announced that plans to put Tubman on the bill were set to be delayed until 2028.
White House press secretary Jen Psaki was asked about the status of the redesigned currency on Monday during a news briefing. Psaki noted that she was working in the Obama administration when the plans were first announced and called it a “very exciting” development.
“It hasn’t moved forward yet, which we would have been surprised to learn at the time,” she said. “The Treasury Department is taking steps to resume efforts to put Harriet Tubman on the front of the new $20 notes.”
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“It is important that our notes … reflect the history and diversity of our country, and Harriet Tubman’s image gracing the new $20 note would certainly reflect that,” Psaki continued. “So we’re exploring ways to speed up that effort, but any specifics would, of course, come from the Department of the Treasury.”
The Washington Examiner reached out to the Treasury Department for comment but did not immediately receive a response.
During his 2016 campaign, Trump balked at the idea of replacing Jackson, who was a slaveowner, on the $20 bill.
“Andrew Jackson had a great history, and I think it’s very rough when you take somebody off the bill. Andrew Jackson had a history of tremendous success for the country,” Trump said.
“I think Harriet Tubman is fantastic,” he added. “I would love to leave Andrew Jackson and see if we can maybe come up with another denomination, maybe we do the $2 bill or we do another bill.”
Trump also had a portrait of the seventh president hanging in the Oval Office (the painting has since been replaced in the days after Biden took office).
Author: Zachary Halaschak
Source: Washington Examiner: Biden administration ‘exploring ways to speed up’ process of placing Harriet Tubman on $20 bill
