# US Harriet Tubman $20 bill halted, senators push revival

> Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/us-harriet-tubman-20-bill-debate
> Updated: 2026-07-30T10:05:01.000Z. Sources: 12. Developments: 3.

In early July 2026 Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told a CNN town‑hall that the administration had no plans to place Harriet Tubman on the $20 note, prompting a heated exchange in which a Trump supporter defended keeping Andrew Jackson and a strategist joked about a proposed $250 Trump bill. Later that morning, Bessent reiterated to Spectrum News that the Treasury was “not at present” moving forward with the redesign, effectively placing the project on an indefinite hold. Lawmakers including Senators Jeanne Shaheen and Rep. Joyce Beatty expressed disappointment, accusing the Treasury of favoring a commemorative Trump initiative.

On July 30, a group of Democratic senators led by Shaheen and Chris Van Hollen sent a letter to Bessent urging the department to resume the Tubman redesign, citing broad public support and bipartisan backing. The correspondence underscores ongoing congressional pressure to revive the effort despite the Treasury’s pause.

## Claims

- U.S. Democratic senators urged the Treasury to revive a plan to place Harriet Tubman on the $20 bill. (corroborated by 4 sources)
- Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the Treasury Department is not currently planning to put Tubman on the $20 bill. (corroborated by 4 sources)
- In 2016 the Obama administration announced that Harriet Tubman would replace President Andrew Jackson on the $20 bill. (corroborated by 4 sources)
- Harriet Tubman would be the first African American on the face of U.S. paper currency. (corroborated by 4 sources)
- No new person has been put on U.S. paper currency since 1928. (corroborated by 4 sources)
- Some Trump administration officials have sought to put President Donald Trump’s image on a proposed $250 bill. (corroborated by 4 sources)
- Allowing a living person to appear on U.S. currency would require an act of Congress. (corroborated by 4 sources)
- A $1 coin bearing President Trump’s image for the United States’ 250th anniversary is in production, authorized by a 2020 commemorative coin law. (corroborated by 4 sources)
- U.S. Democratic senators urged the Treasury Department to revive a plan to put Harriet Tubman on the $20 bill. (corroborated by 4 sources)
- Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the department was not currently planning to put Tubman on the $20 bill. (corroborated by 4 sources)
- The Obama administration announced in 2016 that Harriet Tubman would replace Andrew Jackson on the $20 bill. (corroborated by 4 sources)
- Harriet Tubman would have been the first African American on the face of U.S. paper currency. (corroborated by 4 sources)

## Timeline

### 2026-07-30: US Senators Push to Restore Harriet Tubman on $20 Bill

Democratic senators urge Treasury to revive plans to put Harriet Tubman on the $20 bill after the department said it was not pursuing the redesign.

4 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/us-democratic-senators-push-to-put-harriet-tubman-on-20-bill

### 2026-07-08: U.S. Treasury drops Harriet Tubman $20 bill redesign

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent says the U.S. will not pursue a Harriet Tubman $20 bill, ending a decade‑old plan while the administration readies a $250 Trump commemorative note.

6 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/us-treasury-halts-harriet-tubman-20-bill-plan

### 2026-07-08: Harriet Tubman $20 Bill Debate Sparks Heated CNN Panel

CNN panel debates the Trump administration’s decision not to put Harriet Tubman on the $20 bill, with Trump loyalist Brianna Lyman defending Andrew Jackson and political pundits sparring over the symbolism.

2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/harriet-tubman-20-bill-debate-sparks-heated-cnn-panel

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Cite as: US Harriet Tubman $20 bill halted, senators push revival. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/us-harriet-tubman-20-bill-debate