Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan (R) on Tuesday asked Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin to rethink his decision to delay the release of a $20 bill featuring abolitionist and suffragette Harriet Tubman.
In a Tuesday letter to Mnuchin, Hogan urged the secretary to follow through on an Obama-era plan to replace former President Andrew Jackson with Tubman, a Maryland native, on the bill and unveil the new design in 2020 to mark the 100th anniversary of women’s suffrage.
“She dedicated her life in selfless service to others and to the cause of freedom,” Hogan wrote, praising Tubman. “Her unbelievable acts of heroism, courage, and sacrifice have more than earned her rightful place among our nation’s most pivotal leaders. She deserves this honor.” {mosads}
Hogan is the latest politician to criticize Mnuchin after the secretary told lawmakers in May that he had delayed the reveal of the Tubman $20 design until 2028. The governor is one Trump’s most prominent Republican critics and recently ruled out a 2020 primary bid after months of speculation.
Mnuchin told the House Financial Services Committee that his primary focus is enhancing the security of currency notes and that he would leave the redesign to his eventual successor.
Mnuchin’s delay triggered backlash from lawmakers in both parties who’ve long called for Tubman to replace Jackson on the $20 bill.
Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.), whose questioning of Mnuchin yielded his announcement of the delay, asked the secretary in a follow-up June 6 letter to prove his commitment to diversity and representation.
“The 2018 midterm elections are clear evidence that our democracy is not truly representative until it proudly includes women and people of color in American government and in American symbols, such as our currency,” wrote Pressley, who was elected to Congress last year.
Reps. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.) and John Katko (R-N.Y.), co-authors of a bill to order Tubman’s portrait on the $20 bill, told Mnuchin of their “significant disappointment” in his decision.
“Tubman played a critical role in some of the most significant efforts in our country’s history to ensure the basic rights of all Americans,” wrote Cummings and Katko in a June 6 letter.
“In consideration of her continued role in inspiring individuals of all backgrounds to pursue freedom and equality, we believe that memorializing Tubman on the $20 note would serve as a fitting tribute to her life and legacy.”