Rep. John Mannion is again asking the Treasury Department a basic question: What happened to the initiative for the Harriet Tubman $20 bill?
In an October 22 letter to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Mannion and Rep. Joyce Beatty ask whether the redesign has been delayed or dropped. They also want to know how much public money has gone into it and what steps come next.
The ongoing conversation surrounding the Harriet Tubman $20 bill emphasizes the need for change in how historical figures are honored in currency.
The ongoing discussions about the Harriet Tubman $20 bill highlight the importance of recognizing historical figures in American currency.
The new request follows a September response from Treasury that stressed the need to prevent counterfeiting. That response did not give a date for a Tubman bill or say whether her portrait remains part of the plan.
A request for answers, not a new bill announcement
Mannion’s office released the letter Thursday. It is a follow-up to an August appeal, previously covered by the Utica Phoenix, rather than an announcement that new currency is coming.
The October 22 letter asks Treasury and the Bureau of Engraving and Printing to separate two costs: total spending on the new “Catalyst” series $20 note, and spending specifically tied to the Tubman portrait redesign. The lawmakers ask about engraving, design work, printing plates and other production work.
“Taxpayers deserve a return on their investments,” they wrote.
Neither the new letter nor Treasury’s September reply provides a dollar total. The lawmakers’ concern about wasted spending is an argument for disclosure, not a documented finding that a particular sum has been lost.
What Treasury said
In its September 14 response, Treasury said security and anti-counterfeiting needs guide the timing and design of American paper money. Acting Assistant Secretary Mason Champion signed the response, which was sent to both lawmakers.
Treasury also cited a 2020 inspector general report that criticized the process behind the original 2016 announcement. The department said that announcement had not followed the usual currency-development review process.
The response emphasized work on the Catalyst series, a new family of banknotes. It did not directly answer whether the Tubman portrait had been canceled.
Mannion and Beatty say security checks should continue, but argue that those checks should be applied consistently. Their new letter questions how the Tubman project is being treated compared with a proposed $250 note featuring President Donald Trump.
That comparison is the lawmakers’ claim and request for information. Their letter does not establish that a $250 note has received congressional approval or is in circulation.
A Central New York connection
The debate has a regional connection beyond Mannion’s role representing New York’s 22nd District. Tubman made her home in the Auburn area after escaping slavery. The National Park Service describes her work there to shelter and support people who had suffered under slavery and war.
For now, the unanswered questions are practical ones: what work has been completed, what it cost and whether Treasury will set a path forward. The October 22 release announces a request for those answers, not a decision by Treasury.
Reporting is based on Mannion’s October 22 press release, the signed congressional letter, Treasury’s September 14 response and National Park Service background. Treasury’s response described here predates the new request.
