WASHINGTON – Neither rain nor snow nor hail nor sleet – or even the new Juneteenth federal holiday – will stop the mail.
Mail delivery will go on as scheduled on Friday and Saturday even though Friday is a federal holiday under a new law signed Thursday by President Joe Biden.
Biden gave federal workers a day off when he signed a bill on Thursday making Juneteenth, celebrating the end of slavery in Confederate states, into the country’s newest holiday.
“The U.S. Postal Service is fully supportive of the new Juneteenth National Independence Day Act and making June 19 a federal holiday. Unfortunately, it is not possible to cease the operations of the Postal Service to accommodate an observance over the next 24-48 hours,” the postal service said in a statement.
“We are part of the nation’s critical infrastructure and our customers are relying on us to deliver our essential services. Closing down our operations without providing appropriate time would lead to operational disruptions and be a disservice to our customers and those who rely upon us. For that reason, the Postal Service will be operating on June 18 and 19, 2021, on a normal schedule, serving our customers to the best of our ability.”
Learn: What to know about Juneteenth: Holiday marking Emancipation Proclamation takes on extra importance in 2020
The president signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act Thursday in the East Room of the White House, flanked by Vice President Kamala Harris and key lawmakers in the swift passage of the bill.
“We have come far and we have far to go, but today is a day of celebration,” said Harris, the nation’s first Black vice president.
The Juneteenth National Independence Day Act grants every federal employee a day off to commemorate June 19, 1865, the day enslaved people in Galveston, Texas, discovered President Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation freed enslaved African Americans in rebel states 2½ years earlier. The day is also known as Freedom Day or Emancipation Day.
Michael Collins covers the White House. Follow him on Twitter @mcollinsNEWS.
It’s official: Juneteenth is officially a federal holiday after President Biden signs bill in White House ceremony
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: USPS to deliver mail Friday and Saturday, despite Juneteenth holiday
