[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 63 (Tuesday, April 13, 2021)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1879-S1880]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    VIOLENCE AGAINST ASIAN AMERICANS

  Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, over the past year, there has been a 
rising tide of violence and discrimination against Asian Americans, 
from shouted insults and racial slurs to outright physical assaults.
  I have attended a whole bunch of rallies against Asian-American 
violence over the past few weeks. You would be heartsick--heartsick--to 
hear the stories shared, the fear in the voices of Asian-American 
citizens, and to listen to the way they change their daily lives to 
avoid the subway or stay indoors most of the day.
  The surge in anti-Asian violence is revolting and, sadly, contains 
the echoes of dark chapters in our history when Asian Americans were 
subject to widespread bigotry and discrimination.
  The poison of racism has always existed in America, but 
unfortunately, over the past 4 years, it seems to have found new life. 
There is no question that the former President fanned the flames of 
racial bias in our country and too often encouraged--let alone 
discouraged--the vicious slander that connected COVID-19 to the people 
of Asian descent.
  Every day in America, in this 21st-century America, Asian Americans 
fear they might be insulted, assaulted, spat upon, or even worse. As 
Americans, we must stand up and do something about it. The foundation 
of our pluralistic society is that an attack on one group is an attack 
on all of us. So tomorrow the Senate will vote on whether to take up 
and debate Senator Hirono's anti-Asian hate crimes bill, sponsored by 
Representative Meng in the House. This bill is as unobjectionable as it 
could be. It would designate a point person at the Justice Department 
to identify hate crimes towards Asian Americans related to COVID-19, 
telling Federal law enforcement to make these hate crimes a top 
priority during the pandemic.
  This isn't some kind of ``gotcha'' legislation. It is not some 
complex new program or appropriation. This is as straightforward as it 
gets. This is legislation our times demand.
  Of course, we are open to strengthening the bill. I understand that 
there is an effort underway to add bipartisan legislation called the No 
Hate Act--sponsored by Senators Blumenthal and Moran, one Democrat and 
one Republican--as an amendment, and I fully support that effort.
  The Blumenthal-Moran bill would provide resources to State and local 
law enforcement to improve hate crimes reporting, increase training, 
while also improving education to root out the bias that fuels these 
despicable, despicable acts. That makes perfect sense as a bipartisan 
amendment to Senator Hirono's legislation, and I believe that combating 
hate against the Asian-American community should be thoroughly, if not 
unanimously, bipartisan.
  Congress can send a strong signal in one loud, clear voice that these 
kinds of hate crimes will not be tolerated. The way to do it is for 60 
Senators to vote to proceed to the bill tomorrow. I sure hope it will 
be more than 60. Then it is my intention to make the first amendment to 
the bill the bipartisan No Hate Act, but in order to offer the

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amendment, the Senate must vote to proceed with debate on the bill.
  President Biden has called on Congress to swiftly pass Senator 
Hirono's legislation and get it to his desk for signature as soon as 
possible. There is no good reason the Senate can't complete the task 
this week.

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