06/19/2026
Happy Juneteenth y’all. And that means ALL.
“It may seem strange that any men should dare to ask a just God’s assistance in wringing their bread from the sweat of other men’s faces.” — Abraham Lincoln, Second Inaugural Address
Every Juneteenth, I think about those words.
When General Granger arrived in Galveston, Texas, on June 19, 1865, he delivered news that should have never been delayed: people who had labored for generations without compensation were free. Juneteenth is a celebration of freedom, but it is also a reminder of a timeless truth: no person should prosper by taking the fruits of another person’s labor.
That principle did not end with slavery.
Irish immigrants arrived in America to find signs that read, “No Irish Need Apply.” Many worked the railroads, canals, factories, and construction projects that helped build this nation while facing discrimination and depressed wages.
Italian immigrants faced similar prejudice. They worked in mines, factories, farms, and neighborhoods across America, often performing difficult and dangerous jobs while struggling for equal opportunity and fair compensation.
The story of America is, in many ways, the story of people insisting that their labor has value and that they deserve to be paid fairly for it.
Today, I see that same principle at stake in healthcare.
Behind every denied claim are people who have already done the work. Nurses who answered the call. Certified nursing assistants who bathed and comforted patients. Therapists who helped restore mobility. Physicians and nurse practitioners who evaluated, treated, and followed patients through difficult illnesses.
When care is delivered and payment is later denied, the consequences extend beyond accounting ledgers. Real people have already invested their time, skill, compassion, and labor. The work has been done. The patient has been cared for.
Healthcare providers understand the need to prevent fraud and waste. Taxpayer dollars deserve stewardship. But stewardship should not become a mechanism that routinely delays, reduces, or denies payment for legitimate care already provided to vulnerable Americans.
Lincoln warned against “wringing their bread from the sweat of other men’s faces.” His words challenge us to examine any system where those who perform the work struggle to receive the value of their labor while others profit from withholding payment.
On this Juneteenth, I am reminded that freedom and dignity are inseparable from the right to enjoy the fruits of one’s own work.
Whether we are talking about the formerly enslaved, Irish laborers, Italian immigrants, nurses, therapists, physicians, or caregivers today, the principle remains the same:
A just society honors labor.
A just society keeps its promises.
And a just society ensures that those who care for others are not denied the wages they have earned.
Support Improving Seniors’ Timely Access to Care Act (H.R. 3514 / S. 1816 in the current Congress) sponsored in the Senate by Senator Mark Warner of Virginia and Senator Roger Marshall of Kansas. This legislation prevents us from going back to some old practices legislated by our beloved nation. Yeah. There is irony to all of it.
Happy Juneteenth.
