The Senate voted overwhelmingly in support of an anti-Asian hate crimes bill which denounces discrimination against Asian communities in the United States, and creating a new position at the Justice Department to expedite reviews of potential Covid-19-related hate crimes, according to CNN.
The bill also direct the Department of Human Services to issue guidance raising awareness of hate crimes during the pandemic, and work with agencies to establish online reporting of them.
The bill was sponsored by New York Democratic Rep. Grace Meng and Hawaii Democratic Sen. Mazie Hirono, who worked with Republican senator Sen. Susan Collins and others to broaden support for the bill.
The bill passed on a 94-1 vote, Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) was the lone senator to vote “no” on the legislation.
“By passing this bill we say to the Asian American community that the government is paying attention to them, has heard their concerns and will respond to protect them,” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said. “And second, by passing this bill we’ll send a message to the country that should be all too obvious by now: Hate crimes will not be tolerated,” he added.
The bill now goes to the House, where Democrats are expected to soon take up their version of the legislation, before being signed into law by President Joe Biden.
