Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wisconsin) was heckled at a Juneteenth celebration on Saturday at Milwaukee in Wisconsin.
From the video released by one of the reporters, a bystander yells, “We don’t need you out here.”
Johnson was criticized for blocking the passage of a federal holiday on Juneteenth, although the senator eventually dropped his opposition last week, right before the holiday. President Joe Biden signed the bill into law last week.
“Last year, a bill was introduced to celebrate Juneteenth by providing an additional paid holiday for 2 million federal employees at a cost of $600 million per year. They attempted to pass the bill without debate or amendment process,” Johnson said when declaring his stance.
“Although I strongly support celebrating Emancipation, I objected to the cost and lack of debate. While it still seems strange that having taxpayers provide federal employees paid time off is now required to celebrate the end of slavery, it is clear that there is no appetite in Congress to further discuss the matter. Therefore, I do not intend to object.”
Juneteenth celebrates the day – June 19th, 1865 – when the remainder of the enslaved people in Texas were finally set free.
