The U.S. Treasury Department has shelved the decision to put famous abolitionist Harriet Tubman on a $20 bill, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told Spectrum News.
In response to a question about the status of the bill from the outlet, Bessent said the Trump administration was “not at present” planning to place Tubman’s likeness on it.
Ten years ago, President Barack Obama’s treasury secretary, Jack Lew, announced the planned redesign in 2016 to honor Tubman, who is credited with conducting 13 missions on the Underground Railroad to free approximately 70 slaves.
The effort had been timed by the Obama administration to coincide with the 100th anniversary of passage of the 19th Amendment giving women the right to vote.
However, Trump administration Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin did not move forward with the decision by the Obama administration. Instead, he in 2019 announced a delay in redesigning the $20 bill in order to redesign the $10 and $50 bills first to improve security features to thwart counterfeiters.
Under Mnuchin’s revised schedule, announced in May 2019, the redesigned $20 bill would not have come out until 2028. The final designs were slated to be announced this year.
Since his first presidential campaign, Donald Trump, who has since sought to dismantle diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, called the move to replace Jackson with Tubman “pure political correctness.”
However, the Trump administration’s handling of the planned Tubman $20 is notably different than its approach to creating a potential new $250 bill featuring Trump’s image.
The administration has signaled it is ready to produce the new bill, which is aimed at commemorating the country’s 250th birthday, quickly if Congress gives its approval.
The image of Tubman would have replaced seventh U.S. President Andrew Jackson on the $20 bill.