China News Service, April 13th. According to a report by Qiaobao.com, although some Republicans have resisted, Democrats in the U.S. Senate hope to advance a bill to combat the surge in Asian hate crimes as early as the 14th.
According to reports, the bill was introduced by Hawaii Senator Keiko Hirono and New York State Representative Meng Zhaowen. The summary shows that the bill will assign a Justice Department official to expedite the review of hate crimes that may be related to the new crown pneumonia. It will also establish an online database of similar incidents and require the introduction of new regulations to "reduce the racially discriminatory language used in describing the epidemic."
Data map: On April 4th, local time, an anti-hate Asian parade was held in New York. After tens of thousands of people gathered at Foley Square in Manhattan holding slogans, they paraded across the Brooklyn Bridge to Cadman Square in Brooklyn.
Photo by China News Agency reporter Liao Pan
But it is not yet clear whether the Republican Party will support this bill and allow it to be passed in the next few days.
At least one unnamed Republican senator has privately expressed his opposition to the bill, which may force the Senate to take time-consuming steps to break the deadlock.
Some Republican Senate offices refused to respond.
Hirono said: "We just want to get more information. You might think that all Republicans are condemning hate crimes against Asians, but not enough people have come forward to speak up."
Senator Corning, Republican of Texas, said on the 12th that the bill was “just an information vote” and did not enter the typical committee review process.
Iowa Republican Senator Grassley added that he believes that the Senate should postpone the passage of the bill until Attorney General Garland completes research on hate crimes.
Both senators said that they still need to examine the bill more carefully.
In March, six Asian women in Atlanta were killed in a shooting tragedy, which has attracted more and more attention to the surge in violence against Asians.
Subsequently, Keiko Hirono and Senator Duckworth of Illinois publicly accused the senior officials of the Biden administration for lack of Asian representatives.
Among the 23 cabinet-level positions that need to be reviewed by the Senate, US President Biden nominated two Asians. One of them is Tanden, the director of the Bureau of Management and Budget.
However, due to Tanden's series of attacks on Republicans, Senator Manchin, the Democrat of West Virginia, expressed opposition to her taking the post, and her nomination was defeated.
Keiko Hirono and Duckworth previously threatened to vote against any non-minority nominated by Biden.
Duckworth also said that the White House tried to ignore her worries and made her feel humiliated.
After the White House agreed to add a senior Asian liaison, they withdrew their threats.
Keiko Hirono said on the 12th that Asian leaders including her and Duckworth will meet with Biden on the 15th and may nominate candidates for the post.