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Biden: Signing Juneteenth holiday bill an honor

President Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act into law on Thursday, commemorating the end of slavery in the U.S., and making June 19 a federal holiday. Biden said signing the measure was “one of the greatest honors I will have had as president.”

Video transcript

JOE BIDEN: And that's who must understand that Juneteenth represents not only the commemoration of the end of slavery in America more than 150 years ago but the ongoing work to have to bring true equity and racial justice into American society, which we can do. In short, this day doesn't just celebrate the past. It calls for action today. I wish all Americans a happy Juneteenth. I'm shortly in a moment going to sign it into law making it a federal holiday. And I have to say to you, I've only been president for several months, but I think this will go down for me as one of the greatest honors I will have had as president. Not because I did it. You did it, Democrats and Republicans. But it's an enormous, enormous honor.

I never understood how Barack did this [INAUDIBLE]

- He did it for [INAUDIBLE].

JOE BIDEN: I'm going to make sure. There you go.

- Mr. President.

JOE BIDEN: Thank you.

[CHATTER]

- Thank you, Mr. President.

- Thank you so much.

JOE BIDEN: Thank you. Thank you. We've got three more. I got to make them more than my name. Oh, I'm sorry. I'm not for sure who--

- We represent [INAUDIBLE].

JOE BIDEN: There he is. There's the man.

[INTERPOSING VOICES]

Did anybody else--

- Oh yeah.

JOE BIDEN: Hey, OK, man. I'm sorry, man.

KAMALA HARRIS: [INAUDIBLE] Davis.

JOE BIDEN: Thank you, man.

- Thank you.

JOE BIDEN: All right.