Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) on Wednesday knocked Rep. Matt Rosendale (R-Mont.) for his statement announcing that he will vote against a bill to make Juneteenth a federal holiday, calling his position “kooky.”
The Senate on Tuesday unanimously passed a bill to make Juneteenth, the day that celebrates the emancipation of formerly enslaved African Americans, a federal holiday, sending it to the House for approval.
Rosendale released a statement on Wednesday, hours before the bill’s vote in the House, announcing his intention to vote against the legislation. He called the measure “an effort by the Left to create a day out of whole cloth to celebrate identity politics as part of its larger efforts to make Critical Race Theory the reigning ideology of our country.”
“Since I believe in treating everyone equally, regardless of race, and that we should be focused on what unites us rather than our differences, I will vote no,” Rosendale continued.
Cornyn, a co-sponsor of the bill, took to Twitter to offer commentary on Rosendale’s position, calling it “kooky.”
In a statement following the bill’s passage in the Senate, Cornyn said the approval of the measure “represents a big step in our nation’s journey toward equality.”
The House passed the legislation on Wednesday, just three days before Juneteenth, which is celebrated on June 19.