Staff Reports
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent just put a stake through a long-running debate about who should appear on U.S. money. Asked whether the Treasury still planned to put Harriet Tubman on the $20 bill, he answered plainly: “We are not at present.” That short line matters a lot more than the social-media sturm und drang that followed.
New Treasury Line: Tubman on the $20 Is On Ice
The remark came in a brief interview and Treasury spokespeople did not immediately offer a longer explanation. For people who have followed this story since the 2016 announcement, Bessent’s words are essentially a halt to a project that was never going to be quick. The Treasury framed the pause alongside talk of a proposed $250 note tied to President Trump — a different beast that, by law, would need congressional action. So this is both policy theater and plain process at once.
Why process and law matter
Changing the look of the bills in your wallet is not like swapping a poster. U.S. law bars portraits of living people on currency, and redesigning notes demands years of anti‑counterfeiting work and Bureau of Engraving and Printing planning. Those are boring facts that frustrate activists, but they also protect the money supply. If you care about secure currency, you should want changes done soberly, not on a partisan timetable or to score a symbolic point.
The politics behind the money
Make no mistake: the fight was never only about Harriet Tubman’s worth. She is heroic and deserves honor. The fight was about who gets replaced, who writes the story, and who wins the memory wars. Democrats and Tubman backers are furious; Senator Jeanne Shaheen called the move “extremely disappointing.” Conservatives who oppose sweeping redesigns see this as a sensible reset. Both sides like to pretend this is only about history. It’s about power, too — and about whether every national symbol becomes a prize handed out by whichever party is loudest.
Honor Tubman — but don’t weaponize the money
Here’s a modest proposal: honor Harriet Tubman where it actually teaches people — in classrooms, historic sites, museums, and named public places — and handle currency changes the way you handle jet engines: with expertise and patience. If Congress wants to lock a portrait into law, it can write the law. If advocates want a $20 redesign, they should win the votes and accept the technical timeline. For now, Bessent’s line is a small, sensible pause. Let’s stop turning our bills into battlefields and start teaching the whole story instead.
