Trump Administration Says Harriet Tubman $20 Bill Redesign Will Be Delayed
Written by SOURCE on May 23, 2019
The redesigned $20 bill featuring Harriet Tubman will not be unveiled in 2020, as originally planned.
Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin announced the news during a House Financial Services Committee hearing Wednesday, saying the updated $20 bill is unlikely to roll out under the Trump administration.
“The primary reason we’ve looked at redesigning the currency is for counterfeiting issues,” Mnuchin said. “Based upon this, the $20 bill will now not come out until 2028. The $10 bill and the $50 bill will come out with new features beforehand. So, the answer is: It is my responsibility now to focus on what is the issue of counterfeiting and the security features. The ultimate decision on the redesign will most likely be another secretary’s down the road.”
Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-MA) then asked Mnuchin if he supported Tubman being on the $20 bill. He responded: “I’ve made no decision as it relates to that.”
The redesign was announced in April 2016, after the Obama administration received public input about which woman deserved a spot on U.S. currency. Former Treasury Secretary Jack Lew confirmed the 19th century abolitionist would be featured on the front side of the $20 bill, while President Andrew Jackson would be seen on the back. The new version was scheduled to be unveiled in 2020 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment, which granted women the right to vote.
During the 2016 presidential race, Trump denounced the $20 redesign and suggested Tubman be placed on the $2 bill instead.
“I don’t like seeing it. Yes, I think it’s pure political correctness,” he said during a town hall event on the TODAY show. “[Jackson has] been on the bill for many, many years, and, you know, really represented somebody that really was very important to this country. I would love to see another denomination, and that could take place. I think—I think it would be more appropriate.”
Read reactions to the delayed $20 bill redesign below.
