The United States Treasury Department has halted its long-standing plan to feature anti-slavery crusader Harriet Tubman on the 20-dollar bill, according to a statement made by Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent during an interview on July 6, 2026.
The decision stalls an initiative first introduced by the Obama administration a decade ago to replace the portrait of the seventh U.
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S. President, Andrew Jackson, with the famous abolitionist.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent confirmed the shift in administration priorities when questioned about the status of the currency redesign project.
"We are not at present," Bessent said when asked in a Monday interview if Treasury was still planning to move ahead with the decade-old plan.
Bessent further explained that the process of altering existing United States denominations requires an extensive timeline.
"For us to change an existing bill, whether it's $1 through $100, takes many years in advance," he added.
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Alternative Currency Proposals
The administration has simultaneously discussed alternative currency proposals, including a commemorative denomination celebrating the nation's independence.
"The 250 requires an act of Congress, because you can't have a living person (on U. S.
currency), and it was to commit – for the 250th anniversary," Bessent told Spectrum News regarding plans for a 250-dollar bill featuring Donald Trump.
The current policy reversal draws sharp criticism from lawmakers who have long advocated for diversity on American paper currency.
"Bessent may be more interested in illegally plastering Donald Trump’s image on a $250 bill," said Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.
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H., who expressed her deep disappointment to Spectrum News over the decision.
