Senate Democrats on Wednesday will force a procedural vote on a bill on ‘COVID-19 hate crimes’, in an effort to keep Republicans on the record of legislation that Democrats say makes no sense to hate to fight against Asian Americans.
Republicans, meanwhile, claim the bill is merely a message to legislation that will do little to address real hate crimes.
The bill passed by Senator Maize Hirono, D-Ill., In the Senate and Representative Grace Meng, DN.Y., in the House requires the Department of Justice (DOJ) to appoint one employee to work full-time. ” to facilitate the expedition of COVID – 19 hate crimes. “This is officially called the” COVID – 19 Hate Crimes Act “.
The bill defines a ‘COVID-19 hate crime’ as violence against a person because of their ‘actual or alleged race, ethnicity, age, color, religion, national origin’ or other identity and the ‘actual or alleged relationship’ to the distribution ‘of COVID-19. ”
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The bill was reinstated in early March, shortly before a shooter killed eight people in the massage parlors in Atlanta. The shooting incident does not appear to be motivated by the coronavirus, but did draw attention to crimes against Asian Americans and helped build the momentum behind the bill.
In the immediate aftermath of the shooting, President Biden called on Congress to act on the bill.
“Although we do not yet know motives, we strongly condemn, as I said last week, the ongoing crisis of gender-based and anti-Asian violence that has plagued our country for a long time,” Biden said. “I call on Congress to pass the COVID-19 law on hate crimes quickly, which will speed up the federal government’s response to the rise of hate crimes exacerbated during the pandemic.”
Republicans, meanwhile, have expressed concern about how the bill was drafted and the path it is taking through the Senate.
“I can not remember it going through the committee, so it’s just getting on the floor. It’s just a message vote, too,” Senator John Cornyn, R-Texas, said about the bill.
In my experience, you tend to have voicemail votes on the biased things, but you go through the committee on these very important things. And I think our AAPI community feels really traumatized at the moment and I do not think that a quick vote from the party floor will give them the assurance that we should give them
Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, added: “I certainly condemn hate crimes against Asian Americans or any other ethnic group. The bill has some drafting issues that I hope can be rectified. It seems, for example, that hate crime should be linked to COVID, which is quite strange. “
The first version of the bill was introduced last year amid concerns about hate crimes against Asian Americans in the early stages of the pandemic, which Democrats say was fueled by former President Donald Trump. He and members of his government have been criticized by Democrats for naming the virus, which originated in China, the Chinese coronavirus, Chinese virus, Kung Flu and other names.
It is especially important that major media regularly referred to the virus early in the pandemic as the Chinese coronavirus. Variants of the virus were referred to based on where it was first discovered, including the United Kingdom, South Africa and other countries.
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But despite concerns from the GOP over the drafting of the bill, Democrats on Tuesday doubled over their plan to bring it to a procedural vote, forcing Senate Republicans to the record.
“There is no reason, no reason, it should not be a dual bill that the Senate passes through immediately,” Senate Leader Chuck Schumer, DN.Y. ‘This is not a gotcha, a kind of scientific gotcha legislation. It is legislation that demands our times. ‘
“We’ve all seen the horrific incidents of unprovoked targeted hate crimes against AAPIs,” Hirono said, referring to the Asian-American Pacific community, “and these kinds of hate crimes have gone up in every state.”
The first Asian-American woman elected to the Senate remarked, “This bill that brings us to the floor of the Senate is very simple, it should be completely undisputed.”
Sen. Mazie Hirono, D-Hawaii, spoke to reporters on Capitol Hill in Washington on Thursday, January 30, 2020, during the indictment of President Donald Trump on charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. Hirono is the main sponsor of the Senate of the COVID-19 law on hate crimes. (AP Photo / Julio Cortez)
The organization Stop AAPI Hate has documented at least 3,795 attacks from last March to February this year. Hirono blames – in part – the language of the previous government.
“Words matter,” Hirono said. “So if you have a president who considers the virus to be the China virus, or if members of his government should call it Kung flu, you are creating an environment where people will be motivated for all the reasons why they commit these kinds of crimes. “It is very important that we now have a president who speaks out and takes a stand.”
Schumer on the Senate floor also said Tuesday that if 60 Republicans vote to enter into debate over the COVID-19 hate crimes law, he will present a bill backed by sens. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., And Jerry Moran, R-Kan., In a two-party bid.
“We are prepared to strengthen the bill. An attempt is underway to add a dual amendment, sponsored by Senators Blumenthal and Moran, one Democrat and one Republican, as an amendment, and their “The bill will provide resources to state and local law enforcers to improve reporting on hate crime, increase training and establish paths to rehabilitation,” Schumer said.
“As a majority leader, it is my intention to make the first amendment twofold, but I cannot do so unless our Republican colleagues allow us to debate the bill,” he continued.
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However, there were concerns from at least one Democrat about the rapid detection of the bill in the Senate rather than sending it through the committee, as is the standard procedure for most bills.
“We should try to come to dual support on this, and I’m a little worried about the idea that I should just have a quick vote if the bill is not through the committee,” Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., Said.
“In my experience here, you tend to have quick voices about the biased things, but you go through the committee on these very important things,” he continued. “And I think our AAPI community feels really traumatized at the moment, and I do not think a quick vote in the party floor will give them the assurance that we should give them.”
Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., Agrees with Kaine.
“I would rather have the bill been regularly discussed or that it be heard by the committee, as usual,” he said. “We can not tolerate any kind of hate crime in the United States.”
Fox News’ Kelly Phares, Chad Pergram and Jason Donner contributed to this report.