[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 46 (Thursday, March 11, 2021)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E235-E236]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        COVID-19 HATE CRIMES ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. GRACE MENG

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, March 11, 2021

  Ms. MENG. Madam Speaker, at a time when all families are struggling 
with the threat of COVID-19, various communities are also suffering 
from the rise in hate crimes. In the last year, nearly 3,000 firsthand 
accounts of physical, verbal, and online attacks against those of Asian 
descent were reported. Asian Americans are fighting not just the COVID-
19 pandemic, but an additional pandemic of hate and bigotry.
  One third of Americans have witnessed someone blaming Asian Americans 
for the coronavirus. Eight out of ten AAPI youth report being bullied 
or verbally harassed due to their race. Elderly Asian Americans are 
being assaulted--tragically resulting in even death. Online hate speech 
and cyberbullying against Asians has increased by 900 percent during 
the pandemic. This is horrific--and it goes against the moral fabric of 
our nation. We

[[Page E236]]

must address these ongoing hate crimes and incidents with urgency.
  That is why I reintroduced the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act. My bill 
would designate a point person at the Department of Justice to expedite 
the review of hate crimes related to COVID-19, specifically crimes of 
violence motivated by the actual or perceived relationship to the 
spread of COVID-19. My bill also includes initiatives to establish 
online reporting of hate crimes or incidents in multiple languages and 
to expand public education campaigns to encourage and empower ethnic 
communities to feel comfortable and report these incidents.
  My bill also directs the Attorney General to work with Health and 
Human Services, the COVID-19 Healthy Equity Task Force, and community-
based organizations to issue best practices to mitigate racially 
discriminatory language in describing the COVID-19 pandemic.
  Madam Speaker, during this time of heightened anxiety and fear 
surrounding COVID-19, we cannot lose sight of protecting the health and 
safety of every single person--no matter their race, ethnicity, age, or 
background. The COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act is a necessary step to 
confront the second pandemic of racism and discrimination in this 
country. I urge my colleagues to join me in this effort to keep all 
Americans safe.

                          ____________________