
Harriet Tubman posthumously made history when Treasury Secretary Jack Lew announced that the abolitionist would replace Andrew Jackson on the front of the $20 bill. Secretary Lew referred to her as “really one of the greater American stories.”
Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa), however, disagrees about the currency redesign. According to Politico, King filed an amendment to a bill related to Treasury Department funding. The proposed amendment forbids any design changes to the currency, especially in terms of the $20 bill.
King said, “It’s not about Harriet Tubman, it’s about keeping the picture on the $20,” as he pulled the bill from his pocket. Pointing to Andrew Jackson, he continued: “Why would you want to change that? I am a conservative, I like to keep what we have.”
King stated that it was “sexist” and racist” to try to diversify representation on American currency. He blames President Obama for that goal: “Here’s what’s really happening: This is liberal activism on the part of the president that’s trying to identify people by categories, and he’s divided us on the lines of groups. … This is a divisive proposal on the part of the president, and mine’s unifying. It says just don’t change anything.”
Presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump also commented on Tubman’s presence on the bill: “I don’t like seeing it. I think it’s pure political correctness.”
More Must-Reads from TIME
- Inside Elon Musk’s War on Washington
- Why Do More Young Adults Have Cancer?
- Colman Domingo Leads With Radical Love
- 11 New Books to Read in February
- How to Get Better at Doing Things Alone
- Cecily Strong on Goober the Clown
- Column: The Rise of America’s Broligarchy
- Introducing the 2025 Closers
Contact us at letters@time.com