Republican Congressman Steve King moved on Tuesday (June 21) to block the Treasury Department’s plan to represent women on American currency, including famed abolitionist Harriet Tubman.
The Iowa congressman didn’t make his motives clear, however he filed an amendment to an annual appropriations bill that would prohibit any money spent on the redesign of American money.
The decision to feature a woman on an American dollar bill came after intense debate over Treasury Secretary’s Jacob J. Lew’s initial decision to put a woman on the $10 bill. However, with the success of the Tony award winning musical Hamilton, the decision was made to place Harriet Tubman on the front of the $20 bill instead.
Harriet Tubman, who famously freed 300 slaves, won’t be the only woman to receive some shine. The Treasury Department’s proposal also plans to feature other prominent women and leaders on the $5 and $10 including Dr. Martin Luther King Jr and Eleanor Roosevelt.
It’s still not clear whether the bill will get a vote when it goes before the House of Representatives next week.