House passes bill to combat hate crimes against Asian Americans

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: Washington Post




The House on Tuesday passed legislation to aggressively investigate hate crimes, especially those targeting Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, that have increased during the coronavirus pandemic. The vote was 364-62; all the votes in opposition came from Republicans. The legislation heads to President Biden for his signature. Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii) introduced the Covid-19 Hate Crimes Act in March after attacks against Asian Americans increased after the coronavirus emerged in China.

Just five days after Hirono introduced the legislation, eight people were killed — including six women of Asian descent — in a mass shooting at three Atlanta-area spas. The legislation would assign an official in the Justice Department to review and expedite all reports of hate crimes related to the coronavirus, expand support for local and state law enforcement agencies responding to these hate crimes, and issue guidance on mitigating the use of racially discriminatory language to describe the pandemic.

Rep. Grace Meng (D-N.Y.), sponsor of the bill in the House, spoke about how emotionally and mentally taxing the past year has been for Asian Americans. “The Asian American community is exhausted from being forced to endure this rise in bigotry and racist attacks,” she said at a Capitol Hill news conference Tuesday with other lawmakers. “Asian Americans are tired of living in fear and being frightened about their kids or elderly parents going outside.”

Proponents of the legislation have cited one study in 16 major cities, where hate crimes decreased overall in the past year, but those crimes against Asian Americans soared 145 percent. “That’s why today’s vote is so important,” said Rep. Judy Chu (D-Calif.), chairwoman of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus. “People often ask what Congress is doing about this and we are here today to say Congress is taking action.”

Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/congress-asian-american-hate-crime-coronavirus/2021/05/18/305c3764-b7dd-11eb-a5fe-bb49dc89a248_story.html

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[SouthBayDem]

1. Dear media, please stop going to Gym for comment!

During House debate, Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) said there is widespread condemnation of violence, but he questioned several aspects of the bill and argued that attacks have occurred in “Democrat cities” and blamed their funding for police.

Given his questionable history, Gym really has no room to complain about others not doing anything about crime.

[BumRushDaShow]

2. I purposely left GYMSUIT out of the excerpts

because nothing but gibberish issues forth from his pie hole.