Today is a historic day for South Carolina.
I'm proud of the leadership of both the House and the Senate. You reached out across racial and party lines to forge the compromise that made this day possible. This legislation creates a holiday to remember a defining moment of the 19th Century the war between North and South that reshaped our country. We will remember the sacrifices of the more than 18,000 South Carolinians who gave their lives on the field of battle. This legislation also creates a holiday that honors the man who led a defining movement of the 20th Century the struggle for civil rights.