[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 86 (Tuesday, May 18, 2021)]
[House]
[Pages H2464-H2473]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
COVID-19 HATE CRIMES ACT
Mr. NADLER. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the
bill (S. 937) to facilitate the expedited review of COVID-19 hate
crimes, and for other purposes.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
S. 937
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress finds the following:
(1) Following the spread of COVID-19 in 2020, there has
been a dramatic increase in hate crimes and violence against
Asian-Americans and Pacific Islanders.
(2) According to a recent report, there were nearly 3,800
reported cases of anti-Asian discrimination and incidents
related to COVID-19 between March 19, 2020, and February 28,
2021, in all 50 States and the District of Columbia.
(3) During this time frame, race has been cited as the
primary reason for discrimination, making up over 90 percent
of incidents, and the United States condemns and denounces
any and all anti-Asian and Pacific Islander sentiment in any
form.
(4) Roughly 36 percent of these incidents took place at a
business and more than 2,000,000 Asian-American businesses
have contributed to the diverse fabric of American life.
(5) More than 1,900,000 Asian-American and Pacific Islander
older adults, particularly those older adults who are recent
immigrants or have limited English proficiency, may face even
greater challenges in dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic,
including discrimination, economic insecurity, and language
isolation.
(6) In the midst of this alarming surge in anti-Asian hate
crimes and incidents, a shooter murdered the following 8
people in the Atlanta, Georgia region, 7 of whom were women
and 6 of whom were women of Asian descent:
(A) Xiaojie Tan.
(B) Daoyou Feng.
(C) Delaina Ashley Yaun Gonzalez.
(D) Paul Andre Michels.
(E) Soon Chung Park.
(F) Hyun Jung Grant.
(G) Suncha Kim.
(H) Yong Ae Yue.
(7) The people of the United States will always remember
the victims of these shootings and stand in solidarity with
those affected by this senseless tragedy and incidents of
hate that have affected the Asian and Pacific Islander
communities.
SEC. 3. REVIEW OF HATE CRIMES.
(a) In General.--Not later than 7 days after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Attorney General shall designate
an officer or employee of the Department of Justice whose
responsibility during the applicable period shall be to
facilitate the expedited review of hate crimes (as described
in section 249 of title 18, United States Code) and reports
of any such crime to Federal, State, local, or Tribal law
enforcement agencies.
(b) Applicable Period Defined.--In this section, the term
``applicable period'' means the period beginning on the date
on which the officer or employee is designated under
subsection (a), and ending on the date that is 1 year after
the date on which the emergency period described in
subparagraph (B) of section 1135(g)(1) of the Social Security
Act (42 U.S.C. 1320b-5(g)(1)) ends, except that the Attorney
General may extend such period as appropriate.
SEC. 4. GUIDANCE.
(a) Guidance for Law Enforcement Agencies.--The Attorney
General shall issue guidance for State, local, and Tribal law
enforcement agencies, pursuant to this Act and other
applicable law, on how to--
(1) establish online reporting of hate crimes or incidents,
and to have online reporting that is equally effective for
people with disabilities as for people without disabilities
available in multiple languages as determined by the Attorney
General;
(2) collect data disaggregated by the protected
characteristics described in section 249 of title 18, United
States Code; and
(3) expand public education campaigns aimed at raising
awareness of hate crimes and reaching victims, that are
equally effective for people with disabilities as for people
without disabilities.
(b) Guidance Relating to COVID-19 Pandemic.--The Attorney
General and the Secretary of Health and Human Services, in
coordination with the COVID-19 Health Equity Task Force and
community-based organizations, shall issue guidance aimed at
raising awareness of hate crimes during the COVID-19
pandemic.
SEC. 5. JABARA-HEYER NO HATE ACT.
(a) Short Title.--This section may be cited as the ``Khalid
Jabara and Heather Heyer National Opposition to Hate,
Assault, and Threats to Equality Act of 2021'' or the
``Jabara-Heyer NO HATE Act''.
(b) Findings.--Congress finds the following:
(1) The incidence of violence known as hate crimes, or
crimes motivated by bias, poses a serious national problem.
(2) According to data obtained by the Federal Bureau of
Investigation, the incidence of such violence increased in
2019, the most recent year for which data is available.
(3) In 1990, Congress enacted the Hate Crime Statistics Act
(Public Law 101-275; 28 U.S.C. 534 note) to provide the
Federal Government, law enforcement agencies, and the public
with data regarding the incidence of hate crime. The Hate
Crime Statistics Act and the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd,
Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act (division E of Public Law 111-
84; 123 Stat. 2835) have enabled Federal authorities to
understand and, where appropriate, investigate and prosecute
hate crimes.
(4) A more complete understanding of the national problem
posed by hate crime is in the public interest and supports
the Federal interest in eradicating bias-motivated violence
referenced in section 249(b)(1)(C) of title 18, United States
Code.
(5) However, a complete understanding of the national
problem posed by hate crimes is hindered by incomplete data
from Federal, State, and local jurisdictions through the
Uniform Crime Reports program authorized under section 534 of
title 28, United States Code, and administered by the Federal
Bureau of Investigation.
(6) Multiple factors contribute to the provision of
inaccurate and incomplete data regarding the incidence of
hate crime through the Uniform Crime Reports program. A
significant contributing factor is the quality and quantity
of training that State and local law enforcement agencies
receive on the identification and reporting of suspected
bias-motivated crimes.
(7) The problem of crimes motivated by bias is sufficiently
serious, widespread, and interstate in nature as to warrant
Federal financial assistance to States and local
jurisdictions.
(8) Federal financial assistance with regard to certain
violent crimes motivated by bias enables Federal, State, and
local authorities to work together as partners in the
investigation and prosecution of such crimes.
(c) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) Hate crime.--The term ``hate crime'' means an act
described in section 245, 247, or 249 of title 18, United
States Code, or in section 901 of the Civil Rights Act of
1968 (42 U.S.C. 3631).
(2) Priority agency.--The term ``priority agency'' means--
(A) a law enforcement agency of a unit of local government
that serves a population of not less than 100,000, as
computed by the Federal Bureau of Investigation; or
(B) a law enforcement agency of a unit of local government
that--
(i) serves a population of not less than 50,000 and less
than 100,000, as computed by the Federal Bureau of
Investigation; and
(ii) has reported no hate crimes through the Uniform Crime
Reports program in each of the 3 most recent calendar years
for which such data is available.
(3) State.--The term ``State'' has the meaning given the
term in section 901 of title I of the Omnibus Crime Control
and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (34 U.S.C. 10251).
(4) Uniform crime reports.--The term ``Uniform Crime
Reports'' means the reports authorized under section 534 of
title 28, United States Code, and administered by the Federal
Bureau of Investigation that compile nationwide criminal
statistics for use--
(A) in law enforcement administration, operation, and
management; and
(B) to assess the nature and type of crime in the United
States.
(5) Unit of local government.--The term ``unit of local
government'' has the meaning given the term in section 901 of
title I of the
[[Page H2465]]
Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (34 U.S.C.
10251).
(d) Reporting of Hate Crimes.--
(1) Implementation grants.--
(A) In general.--The Attorney General may make grants to
States and units of local government to assist the State or
unit of local government in implementing the National
Incident-Based Reporting System, including to train employees
in identifying and classifying hate crimes in the National
Incident-Based Reporting System.
(B) Priority.--In making grants under subparagraph (A), the
Attorney General shall give priority to States and units of
local government that develop and implement the programs and
activities described in subsection (f)(2)(A).
(2) Reporting.--
(A) Compliance.--
(i) In general.--Except as provided in clause (ii), in each
fiscal year beginning after the date that is 3 years after
the date on which a State or unit of local government first
receives a grant under paragraph (1), the State or unit of
local government shall provide to the Attorney General,
through the Uniform Crime Reporting system, information
pertaining to hate crimes committed in that jurisdiction
during the preceding fiscal year.
(ii) Extensions; waiver.--The Attorney General--
(I) may provide a 120-day extension to a State or unit of
local government that is making good faith efforts to comply
with clause (i); and
(II) shall waive the requirements of clause (i) if
compliance with that subparagraph by a State or unit of local
government would be unconstitutional under the constitution
of the State or of the State in which the unit of local
government is located, respectively.
(B) Failure to comply.--If a State or unit of local
government that receives a grant under paragraph (1) fails to
substantially comply with subparagraph (A) of this paragraph,
the State or unit of local government shall repay the grant
in full, plus reasonable interest and penalty charges
allowable by law or established by the Attorney General.
(e) Grants for State-run Hate Crime Hotlines.--
(1) Grants authorized.--
(A) In general.--The Attorney General shall make grants to
States to create State-run hate crime reporting hotlines.
(B) Grant period.--A grant made under subparagraph (A)
shall be for a period of not more than 5 years.
(2) Hotline requirements.--A State shall ensure, with
respect to a hotline funded by a grant under paragraph (1),
that--
(A) the hotline directs individuals to--
(i) law enforcement if appropriate; and
(ii) local support services;
(B) any personally identifiable information that an
individual provides to an agency of the State through the
hotline is not directly or indirectly disclosed, without the
consent of the individual, to--
(i) any other agency of that State;
(ii) any other State;
(iii) the Federal Government; or
(iv) any other person or entity;
(C) the staff members who operate the hotline are trained
to be knowledgeable about--
(i) applicable Federal, State, and local hate crime laws;
and
(ii) local law enforcement resources and applicable local
support services; and
(D) the hotline is accessible to--
(i) individuals with limited English proficiency, where
appropriate; and
(ii) individuals with disabilities.
(3) Best practices.--The Attorney General shall issue
guidance to States on best practices for implementing the
requirements of paragraph (2).
(f) Information Collection by States and Units of Local
Government.--
(1) Definitions.--In this subsection:
(A) Covered agency.--The term ``covered agency'' means--
(i) a State law enforcement agency; and
(ii) a priority agency.
(B) Eligible entity.--The term ``eligible entity'' means--
(i) a State; or
(ii) a unit of local government that has a priority agency.
(2) Grants.--
(A) In general.--The Attorney General may make grants to
eligible entities to assist covered agencies within the
jurisdiction of the eligible entity in conducting law
enforcement activities or crime reduction programs to
prevent, address, or otherwise respond to hate crime,
particularly as those activities or programs relate to
reporting hate crimes through the Uniform Crime Reports
program, including--
(i) adopting a policy on identifying, investigating, and
reporting hate crimes;
(ii) developing a standardized system of collecting,
analyzing, and reporting the incidence of hate crime;
(iii) establishing a unit specialized in identifying,
investigating, and reporting hate crimes;
(iv) engaging in community relations functions related to
hate crime prevention and education such as--
(I) establishing a liaison with formal community-based
organizations or leaders; and
(II) conducting public meetings or educational forums on
the impact of hate crimes, services available to hate crime
victims, and the relevant Federal, State, and local laws
pertaining to hate crimes; and
(v) providing hate crime trainings for agency personnel.
(B) Subgrants.--A State that receives a grant under
subparagraph (A) may award a subgrant to a unit of local
government within the State for the purposes under that
subparagraph, except that a unit of local government may
provide funding from such a subgrant to any law enforcement
agency of the unit of local government.
(3) Information required of states and units of local
government.--
(A) In general.--For each fiscal year in which a State or
unit of local government receives a grant or subgrant under
paragraph (2), the State or unit of local government shall--
(i) collect information from each law enforcement agency
that receives funding from the grant or subgrant summarizing
the law enforcement activities or crime reduction programs
conducted by the agency to prevent, address, or otherwise
respond to hate crime, particularly as those activities or
programs relate to reporting hate crimes through the Uniform
Crime Reports program; and
(ii) submit to the Attorney General a report containing the
information collected under clause (i).
(B) Semiannual law enforcement agency report.--
(i) In general.--In collecting the information required
under subparagraph (A)(i), a State or unit of local
government shall require each law enforcement agency that
receives funding from a grant or subgrant awarded to the
State or unit of local government under paragraph (2) to
submit a semiannual report to the State or unit of local
government that includes a summary of the law enforcement
activities or crime reduction programs conducted by the
agency during the reporting period to prevent, address, or
otherwise respond to hate crime, particularly as those
activities or programs relate to reporting hate crimes
through the Uniform Crime Reports program.
(ii) Contents.--In a report submitted under clause (i), a
law enforcement agency shall, at a minimum, disclose--
(I) whether the agency has adopted a policy on identifying,
investigating, and reporting hate crimes;
(II) whether the agency has developed a standardized system
of collecting, analyzing, and reporting the incidence of hate
crime;
(III) whether the agency has established a unit specialized
in identifying, investigating, and reporting hate crimes;
(IV) whether the agency engages in community relations
functions related to hate crime, such as--
(aa) establishing a liaison with formal community-based
organizations or leaders; and
(bb) conducting public meetings or educational forums on
the impact of hate crime, services available to hate crime
victims, and the relevant Federal, State, and local laws
pertaining to hate crime; and
(V) the number of hate crime trainings for agency
personnel, including the duration of the trainings, conducted
by the agency during the reporting period.
(4) Compliance and redirection of funds.--
(A) In general.--Except as provided in subparagraph (B),
beginning not later than 1 year after the date of this Act, a
State or unit of local government receiving a grant or
subgrant under paragraph (2) shall comply with paragraph (3).
(B) Extensions; waiver.--The Attorney General--
(i) may provide a 120-day extension to a State or unit of
local government that is making good faith efforts to collect
the information required under paragraph (3); and
(ii) shall waive the requirements of paragraph (3) for a
State or unit of local government if compliance with that
subsection by the State or unit of local government would be
unconstitutional under the constitution of the State or of
the State in which the unit of local government is located,
respectively.
(g) Requirements of the Attorney General.--
(1) Information collection and analysis; report.--In order
to improve the accuracy of data regarding the incidence of
hate crime provided through the Uniform Crime Reports
program, and promote a more complete understanding of the
national problem posed by hate crime, the Attorney General
shall--
(A) collect and analyze the information provided by States
and units of local government under subsection (f) for the
purpose of developing policies related to the provision of
accurate data obtained under the Hate Crime Statistics Act
(Public Law 101-275; 28 U.S.C. 534 note) by the Federal
Bureau of Investigation; and
(B) for each calendar year beginning after the date of
enactment of this Act, publish and submit to Congress a
report based on the information collected and analyzed under
subparagraph (A).
(2) Contents of report.--A report submitted under paragraph
(1) shall include--
(A) a qualitative analysis of the relationship between--
(i) the number of hate crimes reported by State law
enforcement agencies or other law enforcement agencies that
received funding from a grant or subgrant awarded under
paragraph (2) through the Uniform Crime Reports program; and
(ii) the nature and extent of law enforcement activities or
crime reduction programs conducted by those agencies to
prevent, address, or otherwise respond to hate crime; and
[[Page H2466]]
(B) a quantitative analysis of the number of State law
enforcement agencies and other law enforcement agencies that
received funding from a grant or subgrant awarded under
paragraph (2) that have--
(i) adopted a policy on identifying, investigating, and
reporting hate crimes;
(ii) developed a standardized system of collecting,
analyzing, and reporting the incidence of hate crime;
(iii) established a unit specialized in identifying,
investigating, and reporting hate crimes;
(iv) engaged in community relations functions related to
hate crime, such as--
(I) establishing a liaison with formal community-based
organizations or leaders; and
(II) conducting public meetings or educational forums on
the impact of hate crime, services available to hate crime
victims, and the relevant Federal, State, and local laws
pertaining to hate crime; and
(v) conducted hate crime trainings for agency personnel
during the reporting period, including--
(I) the total number of trainings conducted by each agency;
and
(II) the duration of the trainings described in subclause
(I).
(h) Alternative Sentencing.--Section 249 of title 18,
United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the
following:
``(e) Supervised Release.--If a court includes, as a part
of a sentence of imprisonment imposed for a violation of
subsection (a), a requirement that the defendant be placed on
a term of supervised release after imprisonment under section
3583, the court may order, as an explicit condition of
supervised release, that the defendant undertake educational
classes or community service directly related to the
community harmed by the defendant's offense.''.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from New
York (Mr. Nadler) and the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Jordan) each will
control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New York.
General Leave
Mr. NADLER. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members
have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include
extraneous material on S. 937.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from New York?
There was no objection.
Mr. NADLER. Madam Speaker, I yield myself 2 minutes.
Madam Speaker, the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act is important and timely
legislation to address the disturbing rise in violence directed at
Asian Americans during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Among other things, this legislation would help DOJ expedite review
of reported cases of hate crimes during the pandemic and provide
guidance to State and local law enforcement agencies for collecting
better and more accurate data.
It also incorporates the Jabara-Heyer NO HATE Act, which includes
measures to encourage the adoption and implementation of the National
Incident-Based Reporting System to facilitate the reporting of hate
crimes by local police departments to the FBI.
The COVID-19 pandemic has taken almost 600,000 lives in the U.S. It
has also, unfortunately, deepened existing divisions in our country.
Racist, hateful rhetoric blaming the pandemic on Asian Americans fanned
the flames of discord and resulted in a disgraceful, sickening, and
ongoing spate of violence and discrimination against Asian people
across our country.
Stop AAPI Hate has collected reports of over 6,000 anti-Asian hate
crimes and incidents since the pandemic began in March 2020. Just this
month, they released four more heartbreaking attacks on Asian Americans
in New York City alone. These cases are, unfortunately, part of a
broader and deeply troubling uptick in hate crimes generally since
2015, with a surge in such crimes in 2019.
This legislation addresses this disturbing trend by helping
policymakers determine where critical resources should be focused,
identifying trends that can be interrupted, and directing public
education campaigns.
I thank my good friends, Congresswoman Grace Meng and Senator Mazie
Hirono, for championing this bill; Congressman Don Beyer and Senator
Richard Blumenthal for their leadership on the Jabara-Heyer NO HATE
Act; Chairman Steve Cohen, for holding an important hearing in his
subcommittee on hate crimes and violence against Asian Americans; and
Congresswoman Judy Chu, you, Madam Speaker, chair of the Congressional
Asian Pacific American Caucus, for your tireless advocacy for the AAPI
community.
The Senate passed this bill almost unanimously. I urge my colleagues
to do so as well.
Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. JORDAN. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
We all condemn violence against people based on their race. In
America, no one should live in fear that they will be a victim of a
crime based on their beliefs, the color of their skin, or the country
in which they were born.
We have seen reports of violence directed at Asian Americans increase
recently in some places around our country. While the perpetrators of
these violent acts must be held accountable, we have serious concerns
about some aspects of this legislation and the process behind moving it
forward.
For instance, the legislation sets up ambiguous hotlines for people
to report anything they find troubling. These hotlines are separate
from traditional law enforcement reporting mechanisms, such as calling
911 or your local police department's nonemergency line, and they could
enable anyone to report anything that that individual may find
offensive.
All crimes should be reported, investigated by law enforcement, and
prosecuted. Telling the public that criminal complaints shouldn't be
reported to law enforcement but, instead, to a new unrelated State
office creates unnecessary confusion and could harm public safety.
In addition, this bill establishes online reporting for complaints
about ``incidents,'' but, of course, the bill doesn't specify what an
incident is; no definition at all. This means, essentially, that we are
asking State governments to act as speech police, and creates a
precedent that could extend to any manner of things someone may deem
offensive.
We were hopeful that there could be a meaningful discussion and input
on this bill, but the chairman pulled the bill from our scheduled
markup in the Judiciary Committee last month, preventing Republicans
from offering any amendments. Republicans had a number of amendments
that would have ensured that the reporting hotlines were focused on
actual criminal conduct and not random citizen complaints.
Finally, it is important to note that the Democrats have attempted to
blame President Trump for this rise in violence against Asian
Americans, but the facts tell an entirely different story. This
violence, by and large, is happening in Democrat-controlled cities,
many of which, interestingly enough, have defunded their police
departments.
For example, New York City saw a 223 percent increase in reported
Asian-American hate crimes, while defunding their police over $1
billion. San Francisco saw a 140 percent increase in reported Asian-
American hate crimes, while defunding their police by $120 million. Los
Angeles, 80 percent increase in reported anti-Asian hate crime, while
defunding their police $175 million.
One report found that nearly 60 percent of the reported hate crime
incidents from March of 2020 to February of 2021, the past year, were
from these two States, California and New York.
It sort of begs the obvious question. Maybe if we weren't defunding
the police, if these Democrat-controlled cities weren't defunding the
police, we would not have the rise in incidents and the rise in hate
crime for Asian Americans. If money wasn't taken from police and they
were allowed to do their jobs, we would probably be in an entirely
different position.
Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. NADLER. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from
New York (Ms. Meng).
Ms. MENG. Madam Speaker, for over a year, against the backdrop of a
raging COVID-19 virus and an economic crisis, Asian Americans have been
fighting an additional pandemic: the virus of hate and bigotry.
Over 6,600 incidents of physical, verbal, and online attacks against
those of Asian descent have been reported since March 2020. Of these,
about two-thirds were reported by women.
[[Page H2467]]
Throughout this pandemic, over 2 million Asian Americans served our
Nation as frontline workers, including those in healthcare, and yet
some of these same Asian Americans became victims of hate as they were
commuting to or from work.
Children as young as my two boys have been attacked on playgrounds in
their own neighborhoods across the country in every single State.
Elderly are being assaulted, tragically resulting in deaths. This
culminated in the worst kind of tragedy, with the mass shootings in
Atlanta.
We need to address this hate once and for all. That is why I
introduced the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act. I am proud the Senate
companion bill, led by Senator Hirono, passed in the Senate last month
with resounding bipartisan support, 94-1.
The COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act is a necessary step to confront the
second pandemic of racism and discrimination. We cannot mend what we do
not measure.
I strongly urge my colleagues to stand with me and vote for the
passage of this bill.
Mr. JORDAN. Madam Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentlewoman from
California (Mrs. Kim).
Mrs. KIM of California. Madam Speaker, as one of the first Korean-
American women to serve in Congress, I am proud to rise today in
solidarity with the Asian American Pacific Islander community and in
strong support of the Senate-amended, bipartisan COVID-19 Hate Crimes
Act, S. 937. I also note the concerns raised by my colleague, Mr.
Jordan.
As we celebrate AAPI Heritage Month throughout the month of May, it
cannot be ignored that the hate and bias targeting the AAPI community
are on the rise. Hate against any ethnic group is unacceptable. This is
not who we are as Americans, and it is not reflective of the country
that welcomed me and my family into its fabric.
That is why I am glad Congress is coming together in a bipartisan way
to take steps against the hate targeting communities like the AAPI
community. However, let's also recognize that we cannot legislate hate
out of people's hearts and minds. We must treat each other with respect
and see each other as Americans. I will continue to do my part, and I
will always stand in solidarity with my AAPI community.
Mr. NADLER. Madam Speaker, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman
from Rhode Island (Mr. Cicilline.)
Mr. CICILLINE. Madam Speaker, thank you to my colleague,
Congresswoman Meng, for her tireless efforts in combating hate crimes
during the COVID-19 pandemic and championing this legislation. Thank
you, Madam Speaker, for your extraordinary leadership as well.
In the past year, the COVID-19 pandemic has not only been a
significant threat to public health; in some instances, it has brought
out the worst impulses in people. Since the start of the pandemic,
there has been a spike in hate crimes and acts of hate against Asian
Americans, with thousands of reported hate incidents across this
country. Asian Americans have been verbally accosted and frequently
told to go back where they came from. Countless Asian Americans have
been pushed to the ground, shoved, punched, beaten, and struck with
weapons all across our country. We are still mourning the eight victims
shot in an Atlanta spa in March, six of whom were of Asian descent.
Asian Americans are being scapegoated for the ongoing health crisis.
It is disgraceful, and we must act.
By passing the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act, we are sending a message
that hatred and bigotry have no place in the United States of America.
I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.
{time} 1415
Mr. JORDAN. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Texas (Mr.
Roy), and I ask unanimous consent that he be permitted to control the
balance of the Republican time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Ohio?
There was no objection.
Mr. ROY. Madam Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to the
gentlewoman from California (Mrs. Steel).
Mrs. STEEL. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding.
I rise today to condemn the discrimination and violence that our
Asian-American and Pacific Islander community has experienced.
Between March and December of last year, nearly 4,000 firsthand
accounts of anti-AAPI hate crimes were recorded in the United States.
It is heartbreaking to read the news stories of these crimes, and my
heart goes out to all those who have been victims of this violence.
I have experienced this type of discrimination and racism firsthand.
I have been called racist slurs and been treated differently because I
am an Asian American.
As a proud American and someone who loves this country dearly, I take
this rise in violence against our Asian community very seriously.
That is why, in February, the very first bill I introduced was a
bipartisan resolution to condemn these crimes and encourage better
coordination between State, local, and Federal governments to track
hate against the AAPI community.
Combating hate is a nonpartisan issue, and I am proud that my
resolution gained bipartisan support. I am very disappointed that my
bipartisan bill was not part of this week's conversation and that we
haven't had the opportunity to vote on it yet.
Despite my history of work on this and my personal experience, no one
in the majority sought out my partnership or input on the anti-Asian
hate bills before us today.
I would have welcomed the opportunity for partnership, and I would
have thought that my colleagues would seek input from one of only two
Republican Asian-American women in the House. Our voices matter in this
discussion.
I am proud to be standing here today to condemn these violent acts
and support my community.
While I disagree with my Democratic colleagues on many things, this
is one area where we can find common ground. That is what
bipartisanship is, disagreeing with someone but finding issues where
there is an opportunity to work together for the good of the country.
I will continue to work on behalf of our AAPI community in Congress
and condemn hate in all forms because this is not a partisan issue. We
are all Americans.
I hope that, moving forward, we have an opportunity to hear from more
AAPI voices and that we work together to put an end to hate.
Mr. ROY. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. NADLER. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from
Washington (Ms. Jayapal).
Ms. JAYAPAL. Madam Speaker, we are here today for Soon Chung Park,
Suncha Kim, Yong Ae Yue, Hyun Jung Grant, Xiaojie Tan, Daoyou Feng,
Amarjeet Kaur Johal, Jasvinder Kaur, Jaswinder Singh, Amarjit Sekhon,
and too many others.
This bill is an important step to address and prevent hate crimes as
we deal with the root causes of hate and violence. That means providing
basic economic security, including housing, social services, education,
and healthcare.
A ``yes'' vote says that we won't stand by as our children are
bullied on playgrounds and our elders are beaten in the streets.
A ``yes'' vote says to Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders--
Chinese, Korean, Indian, Vietnamese, Thai, Pakistani, Japanese,
Filipino, Native Hawaiian, Laotian, Hmong, Cambodian, Burmese,
Bangladeshi, Bhutanese, Indonesian, Tibetan, Sri Lankan, Tongan,
Malaysian, Mongolian, Taiwanese, Fijian, Singaporean, Chamorro,
Nepalese, Samoan, Bruneian, Afghani, Micronesian, and Marshallese--that
we are visible and that we matter.
We, too, are America.
Mr. ROY. Madam Speaker, how much time is remaining on each side?
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman from Texas has 12\1/2\ minutes
remaining. The gentleman from New York has 14 minutes remaining.
Mr. ROY. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. NADLER. Madam Speaker, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentlewoman
from Texas (Ms. Jackson Lee).
[[Page H2468]]
Ms. JACKSON LEE. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding.
Madam Speaker, I also thank you for your leadership. I thank
Congresswoman Meng for her power and passion and the hurt that we saw
as she proceeded to say something has to be done. I thank Senator
Hirono, the bipartisan supporters, and the Tri-Caucus that was led to
believe that we had to stand together as those who have been impacted
by hate. I thank Mr. Beyer for his initiative, bipartisanship, and for
reporting hate.
It is important to note that there were nearly 3,800 reported cases
of anti-Asian discrimination and incidents related to COVID-19 between
March 19, 2020, and February 28, 2021. During that time, race had been
cited as a factor, and then the worst among many, seniors being beat
brutally to the ground, dying, injured, and hurt for life.
Then, in Atlanta, the unspeakable occurred for seven women, six of
whom were of Asian descent.
It is time for this House, in a bipartisan manner, as in the Senate
with over 90 supporting it in its final passage, it is time for us to
raise our voices emotionally and make a commitment, no matter what
color we are, as we see people of our color attacking Asian Americans,
we should stand and be heard. No hate crime should be allowed to stand.
We, of course, have seen that all over.
I ask my colleagues to rise to support S. 937 and the Beyer bill
because no hate crime should be allowed to stand in America.
Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of this important and timely
bill to address the urgent issue of hate crimes.
For the past year, I have expressed great concern about the increase
in violence against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. It is
outrageous. Madam Speaker, many of us awoke in March to the horrific
news that in suburban Atlanta, Georgia, a 21-year old angry white man
murdered 8 persons at three Asian massage spas.
Among the innocent victims were 6 young Asian American women who
worked in the establishments.
The suspected perpetrator of these brutal crimes has been arrested
and charged with 8 counts of murder.
According to the Atlanta Police Department, the killer is reported to
have told police that he has an issue, what he considers a ``sex
addiction,'' and ``sees these [Asian massage spa] locations as
something that allows him to go to these places'' and ``it is a
temptation for him that he wanted to eliminate.''
Madam Speaker, since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in March
2020, there has been a significant increase in harassment and violence
against the Asian American community.
Unfortunately, this is not new; there is a long history of racism
again Asian Americans, especially during times of social and economic
unrest.
Throughout American history, Asian Americans are often blamed for the
emergence of pandemics and diseases, even if the sickness originated
far outside the Asian American community.
The COVID-19 pandemic is no exception, as American citizens, and
residents of actual or perceived Chinese descent, have received intense
and unjust scrutiny, violence, and harassment as perpetrators associate
them with the cause of the pandemic and resulting social and economic
turmoil.
And the racist practice of the 45th President of always referring to
the coronavirus as the ``China Virus,'' or ``Kung Flu'' certainly
contributed to, and inflamed, an already dangerous climate for persons
of Asian descent.
Examples of additional violent physical assaults against the Asian
American community over the last year include:
A sixteen-year-old boy was sent to the emergency room after being
physically attacked at his high school by an assailant who claimed the
boy had COVID-19 simply because he was Asian.
An 81-year-old woman was punched in the face and lit on fire outside
her home.
A woman was kicked, punched, and hit with an umbrella in a subway
station in New York.
A man and his ten-year-old son were followed to a bus station by a
man who was yelling and cursing at them before eventually hitting the
man over the head.
A 61-year-old man was slashed across the face with a boxcutter on the
subway in New York City. His injuries required him to receive nearly
100 stitches.
A woman was doused in a caustic chemical as she took out the trash,
resulting in chemical burns on her face, neck, and back.
A 52-year-old woman was shoved to the ground and hit her head on a
metal newspaper stand.
A 51-year-old man was beaten with his own cane at a bus stop. His
injuries were so severe, he lost part of a finger.
In my hometown of Houston, Texas, we know all too well the fear,
horror, and heartbreak inflicted on members of vulnerable and
marginalized communities when they are targeted by hate crime violence.
Madam Speaker, hate crimes are among the worst atrocities that exist
in modern day society.
A hate crime is defined as the incidence of violence motivated by the
actual or perceived race, color, national origin, relation, sexual
orientation, gender, and disability of the victim.
Unfortunately, hate crimes are underreported for several reasons,
including fear and intimidation.
The Department of Justice must better focus its resources on
prosecuting these hate crimes, and this bill is needed to help expedite
investigations of these offenses during the pandemic.
The bill also will provide greater support for prevention and
community relations programs related to hate crimes, as well as improve
data collection.
We need to stand together to send a clear message that this kind of
behavior will not be tolerated.
We also need to stand in solidarity with the victims and communities
impacted by these terrible crimes.
I urge all my colleagues to support this bill, so that we can send it
to the President's desk without delay.
Mr. ROY. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. NADLER. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from
Tennessee (Mr. Cohen).
Mr. COHEN. Madam Speaker, I thank my most capable and socially aware
counsel to my subcommittee, the Subcommittee on Constitution, Civil
Rights, and Civil Liberties, who brought this issue to my attention
long before the tragedy in Atlanta, the attacks that have been launched
upon people of Asian-American descent in New York, California, and
other places in this Nation.
We held a hearing after the awful attacks in Atlanta, but it was
because of the earlier attacks and the fact that attacks on any
Americans because of their racial or national background is totally
improper and wrong. Religion, race, national origin should not be a
basis for any discrimination.
I am pleased that these bills are being offered, that they are going
to pass this House, and that, hopefully, they will pass the Senate. The
reportage will be better, enforcement will be better, and maybe we will
see an end to this intolerance.
Mr. ROY. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. NADLER. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the distinguished
gentlewoman from Georgia (Mrs. McBath).
Mrs. McBATH. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of the COVID-19 Hate
Crimes Act.
The past year has been one of the most difficult periods in our
Nation's history. And for some of our fellow Americans, the pandemic
has also resulted in an alarming uptick in racially based hate crimes.
Racism, bigotry, and discrimination have no place in our communities.
We must do our part to help stop all forms of violence here in America
and all over the world. And I will continue to fight to help keep all
families in America safe.
That is why I was proud to cosponsor this legislation, which will
facilitate the expedited review of hate crimes and strengthen hate
crimes reporting.
We still have a long way to go to ensure that those who commit these
crimes of hate are held accountable, and we must do better at all
levels of government to protect the most vulnerable among us.
Mr. ROY. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Madam Speaker, nobody in this Chamber believes that there isn't work
to do in the area of ensuring that crimes are not committed against any
American but, in particular, due to their race, their color, their
national origin, or anything about who they are.
Many on this side of the aisle, including the gentlewoman who spoke
before from California, raised concern about the sort of nature of this
legislation and a lot of the concerns that have been raised about its
continued focus on hate crimes in many ways at the expense of our
focusing on crime, crime itself.
In the findings in this piece of legislation, of course, we reference
the terrible tragedy that unfolded in Atlanta,
[[Page H2469]]
Georgia, and much of that was a rush to be included in the form of hate
crimes when the facts being borne out in the investigation among
prosecutors and the investigators in Georgia are indicating that that
was not at all or didn't seem to be the motivation. And I use careful
words like ``seem to be'' because, as a former Federal prosecutor, I
like to wait until you do the investigation before you jump to the
conclusion of what the motive was or what actually went into the crime
at hand.
As in the words of Chief Justice Roberts when he said that it is a
``sordid business, this divvying us up by race,'' I think we do our
Nation a disservice when we spend every waking moment on this floor
divvying us up by race. Increasingly, that is what we are doing.
This legislation is well-intended, but this legislation, in the eyes
of many in this body, is flawed, in terms of having in it things like
the Health Equity Task Force or designate an officer or employee at DOJ
whose responsibility shall be to facilitate the expedited review of
hate crimes. We have provisions in the legislation to encourage the
collection of data, encourage local law enforcement to collect data on
hate crimes, but to seek to do so specifically to focus on hate crimes.
It is the contention of many of my colleagues that this is, in fact,
a continued focus of division in our country, rather than focusing on
the fact of the crime itself, the murder itself.
We all, of course, thought that the crime in Georgia was awful. But,
again, the crime doesn't seem to have been motivated by race, yet it is
being brought into the context of a hate crime.
Perhaps we should spend some time investigating sex trafficking and
human trafficking in the form of massage parlors and people who are
basically indentured servants or slaves in the form of the sex trade;
the cartels that are along our southern border that are forcing young
girls into the sex trade; the people who were bound in a car in Boerne,
Texas, in suburban San Antonio, being forced into the sex trade en
route to a stash house in Houston, Texas, because they were being run
by the Cartel del Noreste of Los Zetas out of Nuevo Laredo--literally,
just occurring in the district that I represent in Boerne, Texas.
Perhaps we can focus on this kind of criminal activity and what that
actually means for young women and young individuals in our country.
{time} 1430
We talk about is it a hate crime when we have seen data of a young
Black male in San Francisco hitting an elderly Asian man on the streets
of San Francisco. We have seen that footage. It's probably a hate
crime, but it is a crime. If that guy was a White guy or a Black guy,
it is a crime. It is a crime going after this elderly man, an American
citizen.
And I think when we think about justice, the reason the blindfold
exists on Lady Justice is we are supposed to have blind justice. We all
acknowledged that we have not had blind justice at many points in the
history of our country, but that blind justice is what we seek when we
seek equal justice under law.
Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. NADLER. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the distinguished
gentleman from New York (Mr. Jones).
Mr. JONES. Madam Speaker, as we near the beginning of the end of the
COVID-19 pandemic, it is long past time to confront what my colleague
and dear friend, Representative Meng, has described as the additional
pandemic of hatred, violence, and discrimination against our Asian
American and Pacific Islander communities.
Madam Speaker, I am proud to support the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act
today.
I would like to address our AAPI communities directly: I cannot know
exactly what you are feeling in this moment, but as an openly gay Black
man in America, I know what it is like to be marginalized and to be
harassed because of who you are.
I turned 34 years old today, and while the end product may look okay,
there is a lot that I carry with me. I know what it is like to feel
both invisible and exposed, both unseen and targeted. I know what it is
like to have to fight for rights that you should just be able to take
for granted. And I know that in the United States of America no one
should ever have to feel this way.
So what I want the AAPI community to know is this: As surely as the
Earth revolves around the Sun, I will be with you always because we can
only get through this together.
Mr. ROY. Madam Speaker, as the gentleman said, as a 34-year-old, the
end product may look okay. This 48-year-old may not be able to make a
similar statement.
Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. NADLER. Madam Speaker, I wish the gentleman from New York a happy
birthday.
Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the distinguished gentlewoman from
Massachusetts (Ms. Clark).
Ms. CLARK of Massachusetts. Madam Speaker, I thank the chairman for
yielding.
The COVID-19 pandemic has brought with it a deadly public health
emergency, an economic crisis, and a disturbing rise in anti-Asian
hate.
Unfortunately, discrimination against the AAPI community is not new.
From the Chinese Exclusion Act to the internment of Japanese Americans,
the U.S. has a long history of discrimination towards AAPI immigrants
and their descendants. This new wave of xenophobia has led to fear,
threats, and outright violence.
Madam Speaker, by passing the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act today, we are
standing up for our neighbors and against discrimination. We take this
vote during AAPI Heritage Month, a time to acknowledge incredible
contributions of this community and also the interconnection of the
American story and our mutual security.
I am proud to represent a large and vibrant AAPI community in my
district, and I have seen that community come together over the last
year and joined to help their neighbors and demand justice for all.
Madam Speaker, I am proud to support this bill today. It is critical
and long overdue.
Mr. ROY. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. NADLER. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the distinguished
gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Beyer).
Mr. BEYER. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of the COVID-19 Hate
Crimes Act, which incorporates my bill with you, Madam Speaker--Ms.
Chu, Representatives Upton and Buchanan--the Jabara-Heyer NO HATE Act.
This is a bill my team started back in 2015 to respond to hate crimes
in Northern Virginia, but it breaks my heart to hear about the abuse
our African-American friends in this body--Democrat and Republican--
have experienced in the last few years. But we are very proud of our
bipartisan, bicameral creation of a bill to address the underreporting
of hate crimes.
I want to thank the families of Khalid Jabara and Heather Heyer for
allowing us to use their names and highlight why we are here today.
I thank now-retired Representative Pete Olson and his team for being
true partners on this bill, along with Representatives Upton and
Buchanan.
I thank Senators Blumenthal and Moran for leading the fight in the
Senate and getting this packaged bill to the House.
Most importantly, I thank Judy Chu, Grace Meng, and Raja
Krishnamoorthi. Without their voices, and without the leadership of
Chairman Nadler, we would not be here today addressing anti-Asian hate,
and we would not be moving this legislation forward today.
Mr. ROY. Madam Speaker, the gentleman from Virginia reminds me--and
we have not discussed this--that I first met the gentleman from
Virginia when I was in college at the University of Virginia and he was
the Lieutenant Governor of Virginia, and I was an instructor for a golf
camp that summer in Charlottesville for his daughter, I believe
Stephanie. Pulling out of my memory banks. And that is where I first
met him. Again, 20--whatever I was--23 or 22 years old, right out of
college.
But he reminds me that one of my college teammates at the University
of Virginia was a gentleman by the name of Lewis Chitengwa. Lewis is
not somebody you all would know, but you do know the name Tiger Woods.
And Tiger
[[Page H2470]]
was asked after his infamous 1997 year when he won the Masters--
obviously breaking down the color barrier at Augusta Masters. He was
asked if he had ever been disappointed in sports. And he said he was
disappointed once when he lost the Orange Bowl, the biggest amateur
tournament down in Miami, where you would expect that to be. And he
lost it to my friend, Lewis Chitengwa.
Lewis is the first Black to win the South African Open. It was a
monumental event, I believe in the early 1990s, when he won that
tournament before he came to the University of Virginia, where he
ultimately graduated. Unfortunately, he passed away 20 years ago this
summer from meningitis.
He had played golf in the Canadian tour in Vancouver and shot, I
think, 68-69 Thursday or Friday, and passed away Saturday morning. Talk
about a pandemic. He passed away from viral meningitis.
I raise Lewis just because Lewis, when he went home, he passed away
that summer, they had to wait about a month to bury him because of the
AIDS epidemic in Zimbabwe, where he was from.
Lewis was the recipient of unspeakable hate when we were in college
around the Charlottesville community in the 1990s. And we would often
discuss that and talk about that and about those changing times. But it
was fascinating for me to watch a man like Lewis, who came from
Zimbabwe and experienced a lot of what was apartheid in South Africa
and being the first Black to win the South African Open, to him talking
about the greatness of this country and justice in this country and
what this country has meant as a beacon for people around the world and
justice. And we talked about it at length.
I understand the intent behind this bill, and I just want to say that
I share that intent; and I know in speaking for Mr. Jordan, who had to
relinquish the time to me, that we share that intent. We just have
serious reservations about defining hate crimes and going down the road
of collecting data and the way we are doing it and how that divvies us
up by race.
Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. NADLER. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the distinguished
gentlewoman from California (Ms. Chu), one of the sponsors of this
legislation.
Ms. CHU. Madam Speaker, I rise today in strong support of the COVID-
19 Hate Crimes Act.
Since the start of this pandemic, Asian Americans have been terrified
by the near-daily attacks in our communities. Shocking videos like the
fatal assault of 84-year-old Vicha Ratanapakdee, and the horrific
shootings of eight people at three Asian-owned spas in Georgia brought
national attention to this issue, but it also showed that our national
response to combating hate crimes is lacking.
That is why today's vote is so important. The bill would create a new
position at the U.S. Department of Justice to better track and address
COVID-19 hate crimes. It also includes the text of the bill I co-lead,
the NO HATE Act, which improves hate crime reporting by law enforcement
and provides grants for community-centered solutions to fight hate.
After a year in which we have seen over 6,600 anti-Asian hate crimes
and incidents, finally we are helping the Asian-American community
fight back.
Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes.''
Mr. ROY. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. NADLER. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from
Maryland (Mr. Hoyer), the distinguished majority leader of the House.
Mr. HOYER. Madam Speaker, I thank the chairman for yielding.
Madam Speaker, there is no place in America for hate. Well, at least
there should be no place in America for hate. There should be no place
in our country for exclusion, for bigotry, or racial violence.
And, frankly, I tell my friend from Texas, it is not enough just to
say that we are against that. We need to do something. This bill takes
a step to doing something.
Disturbingly, over the past few years, we have seen these evils
emerge out of their dark hiding places. While we have always struggled
as a nation to confront hatred and injustice, this past year we have
been tested in ways we have not seen in some period of time.
Madam Speaker, in particular, the COVID-19 pandemic has unleashed an
onslaught of hatred directed against Asian Americans, and other
minorities as well. These men and women, our fellow citizens, have
endured vile words and violent blows. They have been made to feel
unsafe and made to feel apart.
Congress is taking action today, led by my friends Senator Hirono,
Representative Meng, Representative Beyer, and Representative Chu. I am
so proud to align myself with their efforts to make it clear that hate
crimes against Asian Americans will be prosecuted to the fullest extent
possible and that they will never be tolerated in our country, ever, as
they have been tolerated too often in the past.
Representative Chu, as chairwoman of the Congressional Asian Pacific
American Caucus, has put forward a resolution condemning the deadly
shootings in Atlanta in March, which killed six Asian-American women
and two others. I am strongly supporting both her resolution and
Senator Hirono's hate crimes legislation, which has already passed the
Senate, 94-1. Mr. Hawley of Missouri was the sole exception, the
Senator who gave thumbs-up to the insurrectionists.
That bill is the companion to Representative Meng's legislation, and
she has instructed my office she wants to see this adopted as soon as
possible. We would have brought her bill to the floor, but she said,
no, let's do the Senate bill because it can move more quickly. And she
deserves full credit for bringing this issue forward.
Madam Speaker, I commend her for her tireless efforts to stand up
against hate targeting in the Asian-American community and in every
other community--indivisible, one Nation.
Together, as the Nation's representatives, we must make it absolutely
clear that racism and intolerance have no home here in America. Very
frankly, the people who look at this vote will not parse it. They will
interpret it as those who are against hate and those who thought this
bill wasn't perfect in saying that we are against hate.
Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join in sending that message
with a strong bipartisan vote on both of these measures. Let us reject
hate and remind our Asian-American brothers and sisters that we are one
Nation indivisible, standing together and building our common future
together.
We haven't always been that Nation. We haven't always been the
perfect union to which we inspire. Too often, we have held others who
are not like us as less than us. That has been a tragedy of mankind
wherever one lived. This is a small step, but it is an important step.
Let's take it.
{time} 1445
Mr. ROY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I do think it is important what the majority leader just
said. I mean, first of all, we will never be a perfect union. All we
can do is strive, of course, to achieve the ideals set out in our
founding and throughout our history.
But I do take issue; as the distinguished majority leader knows, I
stood on this floor recognizing my concerns about January 6. But to
suggest that the Senator from Missouri, Senator Hawley, is somehow
giving a thumbs-up to insurrection, as opposed to engaging in speech
and debate about his beliefs and his beliefs under the Constitution; I
think that is wrong.
And I think we are continuing to go down this road of back and forth
on these issues, as opposed to having a deep discussion about what
occurred and what didn't occur. But, importantly, on this issue, you
know, taking the Senator's word that he has some concerns, as I do.
I mean, I have sat here and expressed my solidarity and hope and
desire, again, as a former Federal prosecutor, figuring out how to root
out hate and stop crime. I happen to believe that we should do that
through the lens of being color blind, and attacking our criminal
justice system the way we should to try to root it out, but not to
embed in our code the continued
[[Page H2471]]
divvying us up by race. That is just how I view it.
That is how I view it with a number of friends of mine of all walks
of life, of all political persuasions, of all racial persuasions; and I
think that we should be mindful of that.
And the majority leader, I think, gave it up a little bit in saying
that, you know, this vote will be seen either as A or B, right? It will
be seen as you are either for hate or you are against hate. That is, I
think, one of the fundamental problems we have in this body, is that we
can't engage in a reasonable debate about what we are seeing here and
concerns we might have. And being equally opposed to hate, or equally
opposed, or wanting to go root out crime, but have a differing view
about how we get there; that doesn't mean it is A or B, you are for
hate or you are against hate.
But that is what we do; we drop a $2 trillion, 2,000-page bill on the
floor, and you say, well, you are either with us or against us. Vote
for this bill, it is named fill-in-the-blank. Right? Come up with a
great name, you can't oppose that.
Suddenly then, that is what is put out in the headlines, you know,
Chip Roy votes for hate, right, instead of having an actual, robust
debate here on the floor about how we want to carry the country
forward. I think that is what we ought to have.
I actually enjoy this part of our job. I enjoy having numbers of
Members on the floor engaging back and forth about these issues that
are important, rather than just seeking the headline and running out to
the triangle and giving a press conference, divvying us up further in
our ideologies, or in the name of a certain or particular bill.
Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. NADLER. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the distinguished
gentlewoman from California (Ms. Pelosi), the Speaker of the House.
Ms. PELOSI. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding and for
his leadership in bringing this important legislation to the floor. It
really is representative of his lifetime of service to our country for
liberty and justice for all, the term that our distinguished leader
mentioned in his comments--liberty and justice for all.
I want to spring from that and talk about e pluribus unum. When our
Founders established that as a principle, as a guide, e pluribus unum,
from many, one, they could never have imagined how many we would be or
how different we would be from each other, but they knew we had to be
one, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.
Madam Speaker, I thank the leader for framing it in that way, and I
thank the chairman for bringing us together around this legislation put
forth by Representative Grace Meng, a real champion in Congress, who
has long led the charge against anti-AAPI bigotry, and all forms of
bigotry and violence, and who sees this impact firsthand in her
district in Queens. I have visited her there, seeing the beautiful
diversity of her community, even diversity within the Asian-American
community, as diverse as it is, and the trust that they place in her,
well-placed.
And I salute CAPAC chair, Judy Chu, an historic leader, who every day
is ensuring that the AAPI community has a powerful voice and strong
representation in the United States Congress.
Madam Speaker, I was listening to the gentleman's comments, and I was
recalling when this resolution came to the floor last year, and the
leader on the other side said: Nobody in the kitchen tables of America
is talking about this. Another Member said that I was wasting the
Congress' time, as Speaker, to be addressing this AAPI violence, or any
of the hate COVID initiatives. It was ridiculous to say we were wasting
time. It is important, it is the work of the Congress. This is an issue
for us, it is a value. It is a value that is reaffirmed by overwhelming
vote in a bipartisan way in the United States Senate.
I know that Representative Meng considered it a happy day when we
were on the Senate side, in the leadership of Chuck Schumer, with
Senator Mazie Hirono, Senator Tammy Duckworth, our colleague, Andy
Kim, and, of course, our lead sponsor, Grace Meng, as that bill was
being brought forward on the Senate side, which, as we all know,
received very strong, overwhelming bipartisan support.
So, today, in the House, we see representation in action as we bring
to the House floor important legislation to address a grave and growing
crisis to the AAPI community and our entire country, the COVID-19 Hate
Crimes Act.
And, again, I will salute Mazie Hirono and Tammy Duckworth, our
leaders in the Senate, where the legislation passed almost unanimously,
a clear sign of the Congress' unity on this priority.
I, too, am blessed to represent a district that is blessed with a
large AAPI population. And I have seen, as have some of our other
colleagues, firsthand, the hate crimes exacted against them,
intensified since last year. Over 6,600 incidences of anti-AAPI
discrimination and violence from March of last year to March of this
year, in all 50 States, have been reported: businesses vandalized,
seniors attacked, families living in fear, and hundreds more occur
unreported in the shadows. This is what we know.
These attacks are even more shameful in light of the heroism of our
AAPI community during the pandemic, against which 2 million Asian-
Americans and Pacific Islanders are fighting on the front lines as
healthcare providers, as first responders, our police and fire, and
other essential workers.
As a Californian, again, I have seen firsthand the pain in my
community at an AAPI-serving healthcare clinic in Chinatown last month,
and in conversations with the AAPI groups. We have these regular
conversations at this time, sadly, taking this form.
This epidemic of anti-AAPI bigotry is a challenge really, Madam
Speaker, to the conscience of our country, which demands bold,
effective, and immediate action.
As the House prepares to pass this legislation today, I also join my
colleagues in support of Chair Judy Chu's resolution condemning the
deadly attack targeting the AAPI community in Georgia last month. These
shootings were a vicious and vile act that compound the terror and pain
that Asian-Americans and Pacific Islanders face each day.
This bill that we have on the floor today, the COVID-19 Hate Crimes
Act, will strengthen our defenses against any anti-AAPI violence,
speeding our response to hate crimes, supporting State and local
governments as they improve reporting, and ensuring that hate crimes
information is more accessible to the Asia-American communities.
This legislation also includes bipartisan measures to further improve
hate crimes reporting and promote a better response to those hate
crimes of any kind.
Madam Speaker, it is really important if we are going to address the
matter, if we are going to help solve the problem, we have to have an
accounting of what it is. As I said, 6,600 in the past year, a lot of
it intensified toward the end of that year.
Madam Speaker, I thank Representative Don Beyer for his leadership
in the Jabara-Heyer NO HATE Act, now as an amendment to this bill. This
bill also builds on steps taken by President Biden, including his day
one executive order to marshal Federal resources to combat xenophobia
against Asian-Pacific and Pacific Islanders, and his March 30
announcement of additional steps to combat anti-AAPI bigotry.
Together, these steps would make a significant difference to address
hate crimes in America, not only during this pandemic, but for years to
come. This month, May, is AAPI Heritage Month, and in this month we
celebrate the many blessings that the AAPI community has bestowed on
our Nation over the generations.
As we do so, let us honor those contributions with action: ensuring
that every Asian-American and Pacific Islander and their families and
loved ones can live with safety, dignity, and pride.
Madam Speaker, I urge a strong bipartisan vote for the COVID-19 Hate
Crimes Act, and ask for the Chu resolution condemning the shootings of
Georgia, when that comes up. I look forward to seeing the COVID-19 Hate
Crimes Act go directly to the President's desk, as it has already
passed the Senate, and be swiftly signed into law in a strong,
bipartisan way.
[[Page H2472]]
Madam Speaker, I urge a strong ``aye'' vote.
Mr. ROY. Madam Speaker, may I inquire how much time is remaining?
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Ms. Pingree). The gentleman from Texas has
2\1/4\ minutes remaining. The gentleman from New York has 4\1/2\
minutes remaining.
Mr. ROY. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. NADLER. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the distinguished
gentlewoman from New York (Ms. Velazquez).
Ms. VELAZQUEZ. Madam Speaker, I rise today in strong support of this
legislation, and I thank my dear friends and colleagues, Grace Meng and
Judy Chu, for their passionate leadership on this issue, and for
leading the charge on this bill today.
Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, this country has witnessed
a shocking rise in hate crimes against the AAPI communities. I am proud
to represent New York City's Chinatown on the Lower East Side of
Manhattan and Brooklyn's Chinatown around 8th Avenue and Sunset Park.
It goes without saying that my constituents, and every one of our
constituents, ought to be able to go to work, walk to the grocery
store, or ride public transportation without fear of a bigoted, and
even dangerous attack.
We need to bring justice to all the victims of these heinous crimes.
That is why passing this bill is a must. Vote ``yes'' and let's lead
with action. Let's send a strong message that hate and bigotry will not
be tolerated in the United States of America.
Mr. ROY. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. NADLER. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the distinguished
gentleman from Hawaii (Mr. Case).
Mr. CASE. Madam Speaker, I rise today to give voice, not just to the
80 percent of my constituents whose heritage lies in Asia and the
Pacific, but to all I represent; that we join with our brothers and
sisters across our country in solidarity; that hate against any of us
based on our race, our ethnicity, our heritage, is hate against us all;
that this must end here now.
I rise today to recognize my Senator, Mazie Hirono, a pioneer in her
own right, who brought this message to us in anger and in faith. I rise
today for my granddaughter, 2-year-old, Cadence Masako Ansdell, and for
millions like her for whom we must, today, make this choice, that when
they come of age, they will know only the harsh lessons of their past
and not the tragic reality of their present.
Madam Speaker, I rise for us all.
Mr. ROY. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. NADLER. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the distinguished
gentlewoman from California (Ms. Lee).
Ms. LEE of California. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of the
COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act, of which I am a proud cosponsor. I applaud
the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act's passage in the Senate, and I thank
Representatives Meng, Chu, Beyer, and Senators Hirono and Duckworth for
leading the call to address the rise in hate crimes against the AAPI
community.
{time} 1500
The COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act will help ensure that we are measuring
the severity of hate crimes in this Nation so we can implement systemic
change.
It is time that we address the rise in hate crimes against Asian
Americans and Pacific Islanders. We cannot ignore the fear and the
heartbreak that plagues our AAPI communities. We cannot ignore the hate
and the violence perpetrated upon the AAPI community. We cannot ignore
the fact that there have been at least 2,800 incidents of anti-Asian
hate in the United States since the pandemic began and 1,226 incidents
taking place in California and 728 crimes in the Bay Area alone.
Unfortunately, this is only a fraction of anti-Asian hate crimes and
incidents that we know because so many go unreported.
Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the COVID-19 Hate
Crimes Act so that we can continue to fight against hate and violence
and support justice, equality, and safety for the AAPI community.
Mr. ROY. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. NADLER. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the distinguished
gentleman from Texas (Mr. Green).
Mr. GREEN of Texas. Madam Speaker, those who tolerate hate perpetuate
hate. A brief story: I saw the picture, the film, the depiction of the
lady in New York when she was approached by a man who kneed her in her
stomach, forced her to the ground, and kicked her with his feet on
multiple occasions. That kind of hate we cannot tolerate.
He happened to have been a person of color. It must be known that
regardless as to who you are, regardless as to your race or your color,
Madam Speaker, if you perfect that kind of hate, you should be
prosecuted to the fullest extent that the law allows. Those who
tolerate hate perpetuate hate.
Mr. ROY. Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
Madam Speaker, the gentlewoman from California earlier made a good
point, and I am going to use my own words to paraphrase what she said
when she said that we can't legislate away hate.
The perspective of many of us is that we don't need new laws, we
don't need more committees, and we don't need more bureaucracy. We need
to give our police the resources they need to do their job. We need to
make sure that we are rooting out crime wherever it may exist between
whatever communities it may exist. We need more emphasis on family,
more emphasis on community, more emphasis on the Lord Almighty, and
less reliance on the Federal Government to make our communities better.
As I said earlier, I can get into the intricacies of the bill, but we
have already gone over it. The concern of many on my side of the aisle
is in this continued sordid business of divvying us up on race and
focusing on race.
We have spent the better part of the last year rightfully concerned,
focused, and outraged on what we saw with respect to Mr. Floyd. But we
have had a continued focus on race over the last year, and I think one
can look at the impact on communities and the impact on Black
communities throughout the United States' cities, businesses that have
been closed down, and crime sprees that have occurred and wonder what
this continued focus on race is doing to better our great Nation.
I would posit that we are a far better country when we follow Lady
Justice with the blindfold and that we seek to achieve that recognizing
our failure to do so in the past but seeking our desire to achieve that
blindfolded justice going forward.
Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. NADLER. Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
Madam Speaker, our country is experiencing a devastating rise in
hate, particularly against Asian Americans, throughout this pandemic.
The COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act responds to this urgent problem and will
help our government position itself to act quickly on reports of hate
crimes. It will ensure we have accurate data on the size and scope of
the problem. With this information, the Department of Justice will be
better positioned to act on reported hate crimes and to prevent future
ones.
Madam Speaker, I urge all my colleagues to support this important
legislation and to send it to the President's desk without delay, and I
yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from New York (Mr. Nadler) that the House suspend the rules
and pass the bill, S. 937.
The question was taken.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
Mr. ROY. Madam Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to section 3(s) of House Resolution
8, the yeas and nays are ordered.
Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further proceedings on this motion
are postponed.
[[Page H2473]]
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