Two GOP senators filed the request amendment on Wednesday, which would cancel Columbus Day. The amendment was submitted to the Senate’s proposal recognizing June 11 as a federal holiday.
Sense. James Lanford (R-OK) and Ron Johnson (R-WI), chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, proposed the amendment, arguing that adding June 11 as a federal holiday would give federal workers an extra day and push the country further into debt.
As a solution, both senators propose eliminating one federal holiday instead and settled on Columbus Day as the logical choice.
My only motivation for proposing this amendment to the June bill is to prevent federal employees from being provided another paid leave and incurring additional costs.
— Senator Ron Johnson (@SenRonJohnson) July 2, 2020
“Throughout our history, we have sought to create a more perfect union, and June 11 was a huge step in achieving that goal,” Senator Lankford said in a statement. “We should celebrate this progress at the federal level while remaining mindful of the impact the existing 10 federal holidays have on federal services and local businesses. We can reduce this impact by replacing Columbus Day as a federal holiday with June 11, America’s second day of independence. “
Columbus is a historical legend and a revered hero in the Italian-American community. In recent weeks, Columbus statues have been ordered for places like Newark, Philadelphia, San Francisco and even Columbus, Ohio. Crowds also tore down or destroyed statues of Columbus in St. Paul, Boston, Richmond and elsewhere.
Republican senators joining the cancel culture crowd shows the extent to which conservatives are not only losing the culture wars, but are now fighting on the other side.
