Washington DC - President Donald Trump's administration recently scrapped a plan put forth by former President Barack Obama to put Harriet Tubman on the $20 bill.
On Monday, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent was asked by Spectrum News if his department was still planning to follow through with the idea, to which he responded, "We are not at present."
He was then pressed on why the department is pushing forward with a plan to create a $250 bill with Trump's face on it, but not the Tubman bill.
Bessent argued that the Trump plan "requires an act of Congress because you can't have a living person [on US currency]," but the Tubman plan would take "many years in advance."
The plan was originally introduced by Obama's Treasury Secretary Jack Lew in 2016 in honor of Tubman, who famously conducted 13 missions on the Underground Railroad that freed approximately 70 slaves.
During Trump's first term, he halted the project until at least 2026, but when Joe Biden took over in 2021, his administration made it a priority.
At the time, Biden's Press Secretary Jen Psaki said the country's money should "reflect the history and diversity of our country, and Harriet Tubman’s image gracing the new $20 note would certainly reflect that."
Since taking office for his second term, Trump has sought to remove references to slavery and Black history from federally funded institutions and programs, such as museums and national parks.
Trump and his allies have argued that emphasizing such events paints a negative image of the country and teaches young white children to feel guilty and uncomfortable.