Senate Passes Sweeping Bill Aiming To Crack Down On Hate Crimes

Republican Sen. Josh Hawley the only senator to vote against it. It was authored by Hawaii Democratic Sen. Mazie Hirono, and passed amid a spike in hate crimes against Asian Americans throughout the coronavirus pandemic.

“By [passing this bill], we will send a powerful message of solidarity to the [Asian American and Pacific Islanders] community that the Senate will not be a bystander as anti-Asian violence surges in our country,” Hirono said on the Senate floor.

The bill was modified before its final passage after an agreement was reached between Hirono and Maine Republican Sen. Susan Collins modifying the amount of time the Justice Department had to name an official responsible for overseeing the investigation into pandemic-related hate crimes. The agreement gives the DOJ one week to name an official, while the original bill allotted just one day.