WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) hailed an announcement from the Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew that a woman will be featured on the $10 bill starting in 2020. Senator King is a cosponsor of legislation that would direct the Treasury Department to feature a woman on U.S. currency, and he, along with several of his colleagues, has actively encouraged President Obama to do the same.

“The Treasury Secretary is right to listen to the millions of Americans who, like me, agree that it’s far past time a woman is featured on our currency. Women have played a central – and too often unrecognized and underappreciated – role in shaping our nation, and this decision is a step in the right direction toward honoring their tremendous contributions,” Senator King said.

Secretary Lew announced today the new $10 note should feature a woman who was a champion for our inclusive democracy and will seek public input on which woman to feature. Secretary Lew will announce his selection later this year. The Department of the Treasury, with the Bureau of Engraving and Printing, expects to unveil the new $10 note in 2020, the 100th anniversary of the passage of the 19th Amendment, which gave women the right to vote.

Earlier this spring, Senator King cosponsored the Women on the 20 Act, legislation introduced by Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) that would allow for a new citizen panel to be appointed to review input from the American public and select a woman to be featured on the $20 bill. Senator King also joined with Senator Shaheen and a group of their colleagues in early June to send a letter to President Obama urging him and his administration to begin the process of putting a woman on our nation’s paper currency. 

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