US Congress passes bill to fight hate crimes against Asian-Americans
- Racist attacks are on the rise, but critics fear the legislation relies too much on law enforcement and provides little funding to address underlying issues
- The bill now goes to President Biden, who has said he will sign it into law
The bill, which the House passed on a 364-62 vote, will expedite the review of hate crimes at the Justice Department and make grants available to help local law enforcement agencies improve their investigation, identification and reporting of incidents driven by bias, which often go under-reported.
It previously passed the Senate 94-1 in April after lawmakers reached a compromise. Biden has said he will sign it.
“Asian-Americans have been screaming out for help, and the House and Senate and President Biden have clearly heard our pleas,” said congresswoman Grace Meng, who helped lead efforts to pass the bill in the House.
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Two Asian women attacked with hammer in New York after being told ‘take off your mask’
To many Asian-Americans, the pandemic has invigorated deep-seated biases that in some cases date back to the Chinese Exclusion Act of more than a century ago.