Senate Minority Whip John Thune (RS.D.) said Republicans are considering voting for an open debate and proposing amendments to the hate crime measure. Some in the IDP may want “an opportunity to discuss how to make it better, how to improve it,” Thune said of the bill.
But other GOP senators dismiss the legislation, advocated by Senator Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), as a way to improve federal coordination against hate crimes, as unnecessary and a possible government seat.
“I understand that it does not do much,” said Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas), who said he had yet to review the legislation. “It’s just a message voice, it sounds to me.”
Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine), a key moderate, added that the bill ‘sets out issues that I hope can be rectified. It seems, for example, that the hate crime has to be linked to Covid, which is rather strange. ”
Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) Described the decision before the GOP as a test for the filibuster as the party considered talking about the issue. After all, Durbin remarked: ‘Who can not say that crimes against Asian Americans and others hate [are] reprehensible? ”
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has chosen the relatively narrow bill on hate crimes for his first use of legislative floor time after successfully implementing Biden’s recovery plan for Covid. The choice in itself, as opposed to an alternative dual proposal designed to address increasing prejudice crimes, suggests that Democrats may see an edge in compiling a filibuster fight over a politically popular topic, such as to prevent discrimination.
Schumer called it “irrelevant” and pleaded with Senate Republicans to “pass the bill and pass with a strong two-party system.”
The bill “sends a very important signal from Congress to the American public: these crimes will not be tolerated and there will be consequences,” Schumer said.
Schumer needs at least ten Republican votes to open the debate and get back to the last passage.
‘I would like to see a dual result here. But in some ways, in our opinion, it’s going too far, “said Senator Rob Portman (R-Ohio).
Even some Democrats are questioning the process that led to the vote this week. Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) On Monday asked why the bill is not regularly recommended by the committee, as opposed to a “quick vote” on the floor.
“This is not a silly topic, this is a very serious topic,” Kaine said. “Why should we not have a committee hearing and have witnesses talk about the trauma that Asian Americans are experiencing, because there is really a fear of it. Why would we not do that? Do you have a summary in the committee? We control the committees. ”
Hirono’s bill would appoint a Justice Department official to expedite the review of Covid-related hate crimes, tighten state and local hate crime reporting guidelines, and ask federal agencies to provide a general framework to to avoid racially discriminatory language when describing the pandemic. It currently has no Republican co-sponsors.
Hirono said she is not confident the bill will get enough GOP support to break a filibuster. ‘Everything the Democrats propose is just as important, the Republicans tend not to support. There you have it, ”she said.
In addition to Hirono’s bill, Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) This week again introduced a measure with Senator Jerry Moran (R-Cans.) That would create grants to help state and local governments improve reporting on hate crime. An accompanying account in the House is also twofold.
Should Republicans decide to block the bill, it would be their first filibuster since 2014, when they were last in the minority.
“I will be honest: I am not inclined to create another category of crime,” Senator Kevin Cramer (RN.D.) said Monday night.