Steve King Wants to Block Andrew Jackson From Being Replaced With Harriet Tubman on the $20 Bill

Republican Rep. Steve King (Iowa) wants to block the Treasury Department from replacing President Andrew Jackson with abolitionist Harriet Tubman on the $20 bill.

King introduced the amendment Tuesday and, should it be enacted, the bill would bar the Treasury Department from spending any funds to redesign paper money or coin currency. The move to put a female on U.S. currency by 2020, the 100-year anniversary of women's right to vote, has been gaining traction.

Rep. Steve King speaks during a hearing in January 2014. (AP/Charlie Neibergall)

But if the amendment passes, it would halt any plans to place Tubman — one of the U.S.'s most iconic abolitionists, known for her work in the Underground Railroad during the Civil War — on the $20 bill. If the legislation fails, Tubman could become the first black woman to be featured on U.S. currency.

The Iowa lawmaker's reason for introducing the measure was not immediately clear.

According to a report from the Huffington Post, which was first to break the story, King is hoping to attach his legislation to another bill that will authorize the Treasury Department's budget.

The Treasury Department announced in April that Jackson was being replaced with Tubman on the $20 banknote.

–

Follow the author of this story on Twitter:

Follow @tregp