[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 162 (Wednesday, November 28, 2001)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2150]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       HATE CRIMES PREVENTION ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. JOHN CONYERS, JR.

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, November 28, 2001

  Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Speaker, since the April 3, 2001 introduction of 
H.R. 1343, the Hate Crimes Prevention Act, 199 members from both sides 
of the aisle have added their voices to the call for comprehensive 
legislation that will provide assistance to state and local law 
enforcement and amend federal law to streamline the investigation and 
prosecution of hate crimes.
  The events of September 11th have demonstrated the destructive power 
of hate to rend the fabric of a community and a nation. Domestically, 
hate crimes statistics are a disturbing barometer of the state of the 
nation. In spite of national success in lowering overall crime rates, 
hate crimes have proven resistant to that trend. Data collected for 
2000, pursuant to the 1990 Hate Crimes Statistics Act, documented 8,152 
hate crimes, an increase of 3.5 percent from 1999 figures.
  Overall, racial bias accounted for 54.3 percent of incidents, with 
religious bias accounting for 16.5 percent, sexual orientation 16 
percent and ethnicity 12.4 percent of incidents. Notably, anti-black 
bias accounted for 35.6 percent of all racial bias and anti-Semitism 
accounted for 75.5 percent of all religious bias incidents.
  In the wake of terrorist attacks, the Arab-American Anti-
Discrimination Committee has investigated, documented and referred to 
federal authorities over 450 incidents. These incidents include the 
murders of a Muslim Pakistani store owner in Dallas, TX, and an Indian-
American gas station owner in Mesa, AZ, where a suspect was arrested 
shouting, ``I stand for America all the way.''
  The Department of Justice, however, has initiated only approximately 
40 investigations of hate crimes directed against institutions or 
people of Arab or Middle-Eastern decent. As the James Byrd and Matthew 
Shepard tragedies suggest, the investigation and prosecution of this 
flood of hate crimes will strain the resources of state and local law 
enforcement agencies.
  Current law limits federal jurisdiction to federally protected 
activities, such as voting for even covered classes of persons, so all 
these incidents will not be subject to federal jurisdiction. Moreover, 
current law does not permit federal involvement in a range of cases 
involving crimes motivated by bias against the victim's sexual 
orientation, gender or disability. This loophole is particularly 
significant given the fact that ten states have no hate crime laws on 
the books, and another 21 states have extremely weak hate crimes laws.
  Our bill will remove these hurdles, so the federal government will no 
longer be handicapped in its efforts to assist in the investigation and 
prosecution of hate crimes. Through an Intergovernmental Assistance 
Program, federal authorities will be able to provide technical, 
forensic or prosecutorial assistance to state and local law enforcement 
officials. In addition, the legislation authorizes the Attorney General 
to make grants to state and local law enforcement agencies that have 
incurred extraordinary expenses associated with the investigation and 
prosecution of hate crimes.
  The Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2001 is a constructive and measured 
response to a problem that continues to plague our nation--violence 
motivated by prejudice. It is vital that both government and 
individuals distinguish the beliefs of the Arab-American and Muslim 
communities from the perpetrators of September 11th's violence, and 
recognize that these Americans share our values and contribute 
significantly to our communities.
  All Americans should stand to condemn any acts of bigotry, violence 
or discrimination against Arab-Americans, South Asians and American 
Muslims and call upon Americans of every faith and heritage to stand 
together in this time of national crisis. Our sense of community with 
fellow Americans of Arab and South Asian decent and those of the 
Islamic faith should not be counted as another casualty of September 
11th's senseless violence.

                          ____________________