Senate Resoundingly Passes Bill to Target Anti-Asian Hate Crimes – The New York Times

Citing those revisions, Senator Tom Cotton, Republican of Arkansas, said he would reverse his position on the measure and support it. Language in the original bill did not once refer to the Asian-American community but instead mentioned victims of Covid-19 hate crimes, Mr. Cotton said, adding that an earlier provision directed federal agencies to issue guidance advising what kind of terms to use in describing the pandemic, a move he said was too prescriptive.

Senator Josh Hawley, Republican of Missouri, was the lone opponent of the legislation, arguing that it mandated an overly expansive collection of data around hate crimes that could slide into government overreach.

Democrats defeated a roster of amendments proposed by Republicans, including one aimed at banning federal funds for universities that discriminate against Asian-Americans something that is already unlawful. Another would have required a report on how the government had enforced restrictions on gatherings for religious worship during the pandemic, and a third would have prohibited the Justice Department from tracking cases of discrimination that did not rise to the level of a crime. Ms. Hirono dismissed the amendments as damaging and partisan.

Legislative efforts and debates around the spike of violence targeting Asian-Americans have not always proceeded with such bipartisan comity. In sometimes heated exchanges, some Democratic lawmakers have accused Republicans of supporting and echoing President Donald J. Trumps racist talk around the pandemic, including calling the coronavirus Kung Flu. Republicans, in turn, have accused Democrats of engaging in overreaching political correctness, and said that they are more interested in attacking rhetoric than in addressing violence.

A torrent of hate and violenceagainst people of Asian descent around the United States began last spring, in the early days of the coronavirus pandemic.

After Representative Chip Roy of Texas, one of the top Republicans on the Judiciary Committee, used his introductory remarks at a hearing in March on anti-Asian discrimination to issue a lengthy condemnation of the Chinese governments handling of the coronavirus and asserted that Democrats were policing free speech, he was met with fiery blowback.

Your president, and your party, and your colleagues can talk about issues with any other country that you want, but you dont have to do it by putting a bulls-eye on the back of Asian-Americans across this country, on our grandparents, on our kids, said Representative Grace Meng, Democrat of New York.

This hearing was to address the hurt and pain of our community, to find solutions, she added, and we will not let you take our voice away from us.

Here is the original post:

Senate Resoundingly Passes Bill to Target Anti-Asian Hate Crimes - The New York Times