The Treasury Department continues efforts to put abolitionist Harriet Tubman on the new $ 20 bill after the attempt was delayed indefinitely by the Trump administration in 2019.
“The Department of Treasury is taking steps to resume efforts to resume Harriet Tubman in front of the new $ 20 notes,” White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said Monday. “It’s important that our notes, our money … reflect the history and diversity of our country, and the image of Harriet Tubman on the new $ 20 letter will certainly reflect that.”
In a statement provided to CBS News, a Treasury Department spokesman reiterated the remarks, calling Tubman a ‘role model for leadership and participation in our democracy’.
The renewed effort comes after former Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin announced nearly two years ago that the redesign proposed under former President Obama would not take place under the Trump administration. Mnuchin said it was a ‘non-political situation’, and the main reason was to prevent counterfeit money. At the time, Mnuchin suggested that the way the bill would look there would change until 2026 appeared again, and it would only be distributed in 2028.
New Hampshire Senator Jeanne Shaheen, who has been campaigning for the attempt to put women on money since it was proposed by the Obama administration in 2015, said at the time that the postponement was ‘unacceptable’.
“I have urged the Senate to do this for years,” Shaheen tweeted Monday after the White House said the efforts would move forward. “The Trump admin has dragged their feet without an explanation. Ready to help the Biden admin see through it so we can finally give Harriet Tubman the honor and recognition she long deserves.”
Senate leader Majority Chuck Schumer also welcomed the move.
“I’m glad the Biden government is turning its back on the Trump administration,” Schumer said on the Senate floor. “It’s the kind of thing they did. No excuse, no reason, just did not do it. ‘
In May 2016, former Treasury Secretary Jack Lew announced that Tubman would appear at the front of the $ 20, replacing President Andrew Jackson. Jackson would then appear on the back of the bill, along with an image of the White House. The announcement comes after a period of ten months when the treasury department asked for feedback on who should obtain the notes.
There are various elements that the redesign may take some time, especially given the high circulation of $ 20 notes among consumers. Security features to protect against counterfeiting are a factor in the timing. A high-speed printing facility is required to meet production standards. And there must be time to test the new features.