(GNB DESK)- The House on Tuesday passed a COVID19 Hate Crimes Act which seeks to help combat the rise in anti-Asian hate. The passage follows the Senate’s approval of the measure last month.
The bill passed 364 to 62. It follows the Senate’s approval of the measure last month by a nearly unanimous and overwhelming bipartisan vote of 94 to 1. The legislation now heads to President Biden who has said that he will sign it into law.
The new law directs the US Justice Department to focus on the prosecution of violent crimes against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.
“I am extremely thankful to see my measure pass the House today following last month’s passage in the Senate, and I am excited that it will soon be signed into law by the President,” Representative Grace Meng, lead sponsor of the bill, said in a statement.
“For more than a year, Asian Americans all across our nation have been screaming out for help,” Representative Meng said in a statement.
“We’ve all heard the sickening stories and seen the horrifying videos of Asian Americans being beaten, slashed, and spat on,” Meng said when the bill passed the Senate by a 94-1 vote.
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