Senate breaks filibuster on Asian-American hate crime bill
WASHINGTON » The Senate opened debate Wednesday on legislation confronting the rise of potential hate crimes against Asian Americans, a growing problem during the coronavirus crisis that will also test whether the chamber can push past partisanship on an issue important to many constituents.
Typically, the Democratic-sponsored COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act might quickly face a filibuster, opposed by Republicans who prefer a different approach. But under the Senate leaders’ agreement struck at the start of the year, Republicans and Democrats pledged to try to at least try to debate bills to see if they could reach agreement through the legislative process.
Senators voted overwhelmingly, 92-6, to proceed Wednesday to consideration of the bill.
Ahead of the vote, several leaders of the Asian American and Pacific Islander community in Congress gave personal and heart-wrenching stories of the racism they and their constituents have faced, incidents on the rise during the virus outbreak.
“For more than a year, the Asian American community has been fighting two crises — the COVID-19 pandemic and the antiAsian hate,” Rep. Grace Meng, D-N.Y., a co-author of the bill, said Tuesday at the Capitol.
Meng described welldocumented but “horrifying” images of people being shoved and beaten in public attacks, and of her own conversations with survivors, including the families of the victims of deadly shootings last month in Atlanta. Six of those killed were women of Asian descent.
“Combating hate should not be a partisan issue. It’s about the safety of all Americans,” Meng said.
The bill is the most substantive congressional response to what has been an alarming rise in racist sentiment against Asian Americans, fueled in part by derogatory language about the virus’ origins in China. Donald Trump, while president, played into that narrative with derisive nicknames for the virus. The moment harks back to earlier eras of racism against Chinese Americans, Japanese Americans and others of Asian heritage in this country.
The White House on Wednesday issued a statement of administrative policy that “strongly supports” the bill’s passage. “Elected leaders must act to prevent anti-Asian violence and advance inclusion and belonging for all Asian American communities,” it said.
Senate Republicans have panned the legislation for various shortcomings, but most were reluctant to exercise the filibuster to block it. Opposing it could expose senators to claims they are being racially insensitive.
Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell said as the “proud husband of an Asian American
woman, I think this discrimination against Asian Americans is a real problem.”
McConnell is married to Elaine Chao, the former transportation secretary, and he said Tuesday he was hoping to work out an agreement with Democrats to at least debate the bill and consider potential amendments.
Final passage, however, remains uncertain.
Any one senator can halt the process, and it takes 60 votes in the Senate, which is evenly split 50-50 between Democrats and Republicans, to overcome a filibuster. Six Republicans voted Wednesday against proceeding to the bill, including Sens. Tom Cotton, Ted Cruz and Josh Hawley, all potential presidential hopefuls.