John,

This is the second year now in which we've observed Juneteenth as a federal holiday. I remain deeply thankful for the generations of organizers who advocated for legislation to make Juneteenth a holiday, and I was proud to vote for it last June.

Juneteenth marks the day during the Civil War when a Union general, Gordon Granger, arrived in Galveston, Texas to inform enslaved African-Americans about their freedom. Although President Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation in January 1863, that news didn't arrive in Galveston until June 19, 1865.

Today is about recognizing freedoms that have been gained. But it's also a moment to reflect on how far we still have to go to ensure racial equality.

Simply making Juneteenth a holiday isn't enough. It's on legislators to fully incorporate racial equity into everything they do — and recognize that economic justice is also racial justice.

That's why I've advocated for the following measures in Congress:

• Safeguarding voting rights by passing the For the People Act and the John Lewis Voting Rights Act
• Passing the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act
• Raising the minimum wage to at least $15 an hour
• Establishing paid family leave and universal child care
• Improving public transportation to marginalized communities
• Ending environmental racism and reining in major polluters
• Passing student debt relief

I will continue to push for these and other necessary actions. It's our responsibility to finally build a country that is truly inclusive and puts equity at the forefront of all we do.

Sincerely,

Marie