The GOP is heading for a holiday showdown between Columbus Day and Juneteenth. Two Republican senators, Ron Johnson (R., Wis.) and James Lankford (R., Okla.), introduced an amendment to Senator Cornyn’s (R., Tex) Juneteenth bill. The two want to replace Columbus Day with Juneteenth as a federal holiday. They cite the cost of another federal holiday, but spell it P-a-n-d-e-r-i-n-g. 

2020 is a century worth of events compressed into 7 months. The two Republican senators are set to add another box on the “didn’t expect that one” 2020 bingo card. They want to replace Columbus Day, with Juneteenth. A holiday reflecting the final release of bondage for slaves in the Confederate state of Texas,

Freedom finally came on June 19, 1865 [two years after the Emancipation Proclamation], when some 2,000 Union troops arrived in Galveston Bay, Texas. The army announced that the more than 250,000 enslaved black people in the state, were free by executive decree. This day came to be known as “Juneteenth,” by the newly freed people in Texas.”

Make no mistake, I am 100% in favor of Juneteenth as a federal holiday. It’s a date that further enshrines America as an exceptional nation. We eradicated human enslavement in the reunified United States. All Americans should rejoice that we have Juneteenth because it marks a pivotal time in our history. Designating it a federal holiday is a no-brainer.

What should be a simple 100% bipartisan bill is becoming a sticky wicket for senators Johnson and Lankford. They introduced an amendment to replace Columbus Day with Juneteenth. A dip into the pool of political pandering, where they appease the Social Justice crowd by cancelling the vilified Columbus Day. However, they lack the fortitude to state outright that their motivation is appeasement, they cite it as a fiscally responsible move. Their plan may backfire, in spectacular fashion.

My sole motivation for offering this amendment to the Juneteenth bill is to prevent giving federal workers another paid holiday and incurring the additional cost.

— Senator Ron Johnson (@SenRonJohnson) July 2, 2020

In his tone deaf attempt to explain via Twitter, Senator Johnson manages to simultaneously offend and pander to a good number of Americans.

Americans of Italian heritage will undoubtedly take offense that their celebrated ancestor is deemed the “lightly celebrated” holiday. They will point out that Columbus Day has been celebrated here since the 1700’s. History.com writes,

The first Columbus Day celebration took place in 1792, when New York’s Columbian Order—better known as Tammany Hall—held an event to commemorate the historic landing’s 300th anniversary.”

The Social Justice set will embrace his words, and indeed already replace the holiday, History.com continues,

Several U.S. cities and states have replaced Columbus Day with alternative days of remembrance. Alaska, Hawaii, Oregon and South Dakota have officially replaced Columbus Day with Indigenous Peoples Day, as have cities like Denver, Phoenix and Los Angeles.”

BUT, does the dynamically dense duo realize that by shifting Juneteenth to Columbus Day they are also replacing the highly virtuous “Indigenous Peoples Day”? Is that going to go over well with the SJW’s who will resent you taking away their means of protesting Colonialism as a whole? Betcha didn’t think about that one did ya? You two chuckleheads are boxing a tar baby with this amendment.

Incidentally, how much money is saved by swapping out the “lightly celebrated” Columbus Day? According to a Fox News report, about $600 million dollars. In a budget that reaches into the trillions of dollars, a $600 million savings is a rounding error. Or in the words of Hot Air’s ALLAHPUNDIT,

After watching his party run trillion-dollar deficits for the past several years and in the midst of an historic spending spree aimed at limiting the economic damage from the coronavirus lockdowns, Johnson’s willing to roadblock Cornyn’s bill over what amounts to … about 40 minutes’ worth of federal spending.”

I’m personally offended that we have 10 federal holidays a year, while congress gets months away from their jobs in DC. Yet this senator implies that federal workers getting an additional day is overly generous with the coffers. Newsflash sport, those coffers are filled by our tax dollars. Let’s not pretend you guys practice a heck of a lot of restraint spending them.

Since we’re debating days, how about Labor Day? The Marxist roots are contrary to a Constitutional Republic. You know, the one you swore an oath to protect? Nobody really celebrates it beyond an extra day off. Let’s ditch it (and all the pinko commies burning down our country!). Or would you prefer Christmas? Christians really focus on Easter as the “big” holiday for Christ. And it’s not even a federal holiday, so no big loss and you get to minimize the holidays to 10.

Tucker Carlson has some ideas about the best way to pander,

To say that senators Johnson and Lankford are tone deaf, is a gross understatement. Putting forth this amendment at a time when America is watching the desecration of historical statues and monuments is absurd. It’s pandering to the minority, a vocal but small number of people who find offense in everything. Make no mistake, Juneteenth is going to happen. But the amendment to Senator Cornyn’s original bill puts a pothole in what should be a smooth road. Passing a clean bill, and “generously” granting the taxpayers another federal holiday is a huge “W” on the Republican scorecard. At a time when we are spending almost $1 billion per hour, claiming a 24 hour savings of $600 million dollars is laughable.

Help the nation heal, help the Republicans score a solid win for the American people. Remove your stupid amendment and vote Yes on the clean bill.

Featured Image: klonoaxero License: CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 Image Cropped: 400×400