In a chamber where bipartisan agreement is rare, the Senate on Thursday voted 94 to 1 to advance the COVID Hate Crimes Act, a response to the wave of hostility that followed the pandemic and fell hardest on Asian Americans, who were scapegoated for a virus that arrived from abroad. The lone dissent came from Missouri Republican Josh Hawley, who worried the measure reached too far in what federal data gathering would hold. The bill now crosses to the House, where its sponsors hope that a country still grieving recent killings in Atlanta will translate a shared vote into a law the President can
Hawley Stands Alone as Senate Passes COVID Hate Crimes Act 94-1
Nearly 3,800 racist incidents against Asian Americans have been reported since the pandemic began, and a recent Atlanta-area shooting killed eight people, including six Asian women.
Ninety-four senators voted yes. One said no.
Mark
Ninety-four to one is a striking margin. What made the one vote notable?
Mimi
Josh Hawley was the only senator to vote no. He told CNN's Ted Barrett he thought the bill was hugely broad and open-ended, with expansive data collection by the federal government.
Luke
That's his stated reason, and it's worth keeping separate from the bill's actual text. Newsweek describes the bill as relatively narrow, so there's a disagreement over characterization there.
Mark
What does the bill actually do?
Mimi
It improves data collection on anti-Asian hate crimes. A Justice Department official reviews potential incidents, local police get grants for reporting hotlines, and officers get training.
Mark
Five senators didn't vote. Does that matter?
Mimi
Two of them, Klobuchar and Smith, were at Daunte Wright's funeral, and Klobuchar's office said she would have voted yes.
Luke
The Blackburn and Lee piece is less solid. Their amendments failed, and Newsweek says that suggests they dodged the vote. That's an inference. Nothing here says why they were absent, and Rand Paul's absence is unexplained too.
Mark
And the scale of the problem?
Mimi
Stop AAPI Hate counts nearly 3,800 incidents since the pandemic began, plus the Atlanta-area shooting that killed eight.
Luke
That figure is one tracker's tally of reported incidents, so it's a floor shaped by what people report, not a full count. Also, Hawley's office hadn't responded, so we haven't heard more from him.
Le Pouls
- Nearly 3,800 incidents of anti-Asian harassment and assault have been logged since the pandemic began, and the pressure to act has been mounting for months.
- Senator Josh Hawley stood alone against the bill, arguing its data mandates were too broad and open-ended for federal reach.
- Two Republican amendments failed on the floor, and several senators were absent, including Minnesota's Democrats, who were at a funeral.
- The bill's remedies are practical: a Justice Department review role, grants for local reporting hotlines, and police training on responding to hate crimes.
- With the House next in line and sponsors urging speed, the measure is now poised for a final push toward the President's desk.
In a chamber where bipartisan agreement is rare, the Senate on Thursday voted 94 to 1 to advance the COVID Hate Crimes Act, a response to the wave of hostility that followed the pandemic and fell hardest on Asian Americans, who were scapegoated for a virus that arrived from abroad. The lone dissent came from Missouri Republican Josh Hawley, who worried the measure reached too far in what federal data gathering would hold. The bill now crosses to the House, where its sponsors hope that a country still grieving recent killings in Atlanta will translate a shared vote into a law the President can sign.
On Thursday the Senate voted 94 to 1 to pass the COVID Hate Crimes Act, a bill written in response to the surge in attacks on Asian Americans during the pandemic. Senator Mazie Hirono and Representative Grace Meng introduced it, and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer helped bring it to a vote with bipartisan support. Missouri Republican Josh Hawley cast the only no, telling CNN he found the bill hugely broad and worried about the data the federal government would collect and keep.
Five senators did not vote. Minnesota's Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith were at Daunte Wright's funeral, and a spokesperson said Klobuchar would have voted yes. Marsha Blackburn and Mike Lee had offered amendments that failed, and Newsweek suggested they may have deliberately stayed away from the final vote, though no reasons were confirmed. Newsweek also described the bill as relatively narrow: it aims to improve hate crime data, designates a Justice Department official to review incidents, funds local hotlines, and trains police officers.
The measure grew from a pandemic in which Asian Americans were blamed for the spread of COVID-19. Stop AAPI Hate has logged nearly 3,800 incidents, from verbal abuse to physical assault, and last month a gunman in the Atlanta area killed eight people, six of them Asian women. Hirono called the vote historic and a powerful message of solidarity, and Meng said Asian Americans have been screaming for help and the Senate had finally heard them. The bill now heads to the House, where its sponsors want it passed quickly so President Biden can sign it.
On Thursday, the Senate voted 94 to 1 to pass the COVID Hate Crimes Act, a bill aimed at the surge in attacks on Asian Americans during the pandemic. The single vote against came from Josh Hawley, the Republican senator from Missouri.
The legislation was introduced by Senator Mazie Hirono and Representative Grace Meng. Five senators did not vote: Marsha Blackburn, Amy Klobuchar, Mike Lee, Rand Paul and Tina Smith. Klobuchar and Smith, Minnesota's two Democratic senators, were at Daunte Wright's funeral. A spokesperson for Klobuchar told Newsweek she would have voted yes had she been present.
Blackburn and Lee had each taken the floor earlier to offer amendments to the bill, and both amendments failed. Newsweek reported that this suggested the two Republicans intentionally avoided the final vote, though the source offers no confirmation of their reasons.
Hawley had voiced his reservations earlier in the week, telling CNN's Ted Barrett that he found the bill hugely broad and open-ended. He objected that it mandates data collection in expansive categories that the federal government will gather and maintain, and said that concerned him. Newsweek, however, described the legislation as relatively narrow. Its purpose is to improve data collection on hate crimes against Asian Americans. It designates a Justice Department official to review potential hate crime incidents, provides grants so local law enforcement can set up reporting hotlines, and offers police officers training on how to respond to hate crimes. Newsweek contacted Hawley's office for comment and had not heard back by publication.
The bill grew out of a rise in anti-Asian racism during the coronavirus pandemic, as Asian Americans were scapegoated for the spread of COVID-19. A tracker run by Stop AAPI Hate has logged nearly 3,800 incidents, ranging from verbal abuse to physical assault, since the health crisis began. The issue became a national talking point after attacks on elderly Asian Americans filled the news earlier this year. Last month, a gunman in the Atlanta area killed eight people, six of them Asian women.
Hirono called the vote a historic, bipartisan and powerful message of solidarity with the AAPI community, and urged the House to pass the measure swiftly so President Biden could sign it. Meng thanked the senators who voted yes, called the vote a bold step against ongoing bigotry and violence, and credited Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer with shepherding the bill and securing bipartisan support. Asian Americans, she wrote, have been screaming for help, and the Senate showed it heard them. Senator Tammy Duckworth, the only other Asian American senator, tweeted before the vote that it was a good day to pass the act.
The bill now goes to the House, where its sponsors are pressing for quick action.
Citations marquantes
I'm just concerned the bill is hugely broad, hugely open-ended.— Sen. Josh Hawley, to CNN's Ted Barrett
Now, I urge the House to swiftly pass this legislation so President Biden can sign it into law.— Sen. Mazie Hirono, on Twitter
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