Rep. Mark Takano Statement on Passage of COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act
Washington, DC – Today, Rep. Mark Takano (D-Calif.) released this statement following the House passage of the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act. This bill will designate an individual at the Department of Justice (DOJ) to review reports of hate crimes, and support state and local governments by creating online hate crime reporting processes, collecting data and expanding education campaigns, and establishing grants to combat the increase of anti-AAPI discrimination in America.
“There have been more than 6,600 incidents of anti-AAPI violence in our country since the pandemic first started — these were fueled by the racist rhetoric of Trump and his Republican enablers. With the passage of the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act, we can finally take an important step toward addressing this injustice,” said Rep. Mark Takano. “Asian Americans have been deeply hurt by these vile, racist attacks, and it’s critical that we do the work to help our community heal and provide them with the support and resources they need to combat these crimes and get justice. I’m grateful that this bill passed Congress with strong bipartisan support and that it’s finally on its way to President Biden’s desk. The president has indicated that he will sign this bill without delay to get AAPIs the support they deserve.”
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