U.S. Rep. Grace Meng (D-NY) commended President Joe Biden for his statement of support for the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act.
The legislation seeks to combat ongoing anti-Asian racism and violence and all other types of hate related to the coronavirus. Meng introduced the bill, with U.S. Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI), on March 11. The bill, H.R. 1843, would outline how law enforcement should investigate and respond to COVID-19 hate crimes and create a position in the U.S. Department of Justice to expedite review of such cases.
“I am grateful to President Biden for his unequivocal commitment to address anti-Asian hate and violence and for calling on Congress to pass my COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act,” said Meng. “I also appreciate and thank him for acknowledging my efforts to address the problem. I introduced the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act to address the terrorizing incidents of hate and violence that’s been plaguing the Asian American community throughout this pandemic. Our children, our parents, our entire community deserves to live in peace.”
The bill would designate an officer or employee of the DOJ to facilitate expedited review of COVID-19 hate crimes while issuing guidance for state and local law enforcement agencies to establish online reporting of hate crimes, expand education about hate crimes, and describe best practices to mitigate racially discriminatory language in describing the COVID-19 pandemic.
In his statement, Biden said he thanked the Congresswomen for introducing the bill and called on Congress to swiftly pass legislation.
“During my first week in office, I signed a Presidential Memorandum to condemn and combat racism, xenophobia, and intolerance against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in the United States,” Biden said. “I directed the Department of Justice and the Department of Health and Human Services to help lead our nation’s efforts to stop anti-Asian bias, xenophobia, and harassment. Now, it’s time for Congress to codify and expand upon these actions — because every person in our nation deserves to live their lives with safety, dignity, and respect.