Congress hasnt created a new holiday since 1983, when it made one for Martin Luther King Jr.s birthday. Now some lawmakers are talking about a day commemorating the end of slavery in the U.S. on June 19, known as Juneteenth .

This Friday marks the 155th anniversary of Juneteenth, the day the Union Army announced in Texas that all slaves are free. The Civil War was over and President Abraham Lincoln had signed the Emancipation Proclamation two years earlier, but the news hadnt yet reached the most remote Confederate state. Black Americans have long celebrated Juneteenth, but its not a federally recognized holiday.

Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Texas) wants to change that, and plans to introduce legislation this week making it a national holiday.

I cannot imagine this nation healing from the enormous and penetrating impact of race, racism and the history of slavery without officially acknowledging a day in the nations history that really speaks to freedom and independence for those who carried the burden of slavery, Jackson Lee told HuffPost.

These past years of constant evidence of disparities in the African American community shows that the stain of slavery has not ended, she said.

Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.), who has been leading the GOPs efforts on police reform in the wake of mass Black Lives Matter protests, said over the weekend that he was open to the idea of designating Juneteenth as a federal holiday.

Ive been talking to some of my friends throughout the country, including at the White House, Scott said on NBCs Meet the Press. I think thats a brilliant idea, the conservatives in the House seem to be interested in that. So you never know what may happen.

A spokesperson for Scott declined to elaborate on his support for a new holiday, and the White House declined to comment.