The U.S. House on may 18, 2021 passed a bill with a 364 to 62 vote to address the rise in anti-Asian hate crimes during the Covid-19 pandemic.
- According to Representative Grace Meng, those of Asian descent have been blamed and scapegoated for the outbreak of Covid-19, and as a result Asian Americans have been beaten, slashed, spat on and even set on fire.
- US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said at the event Tuesday that the measure will “strengthen our defenses to prevent reports and combat” violence against Asian Americans as well as build on actions taken by Biden.
- The bill directs the US Department of Justice to expedite the review of Covid-related hate crimes that were reported to law enforcement agencies and help them establish ways to report such incidents online and perform public outreach.
- The bill also provides grants for states to establish state-wide hate crimes reporting hotlines and improve their training to better identify and report them.
