Washington—Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) today released the following statement after the Senate passed the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act:

“I was proud today to vote for the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act. We must do more to combat the surge in discrimination and violence against Asian Americans that we’ve seen over the last year. Fighting against hate of any kind isn’t a partisan issue, it’s an issue that every American should support.

“Since the pandemic began, we’ve seen reports of Asian Americans being violently assaulted, spat on, yelled at and their businesses vandalized. There have been thousands of reports of anti-Asian violence and discrimination nationwide over the last year, many in California. These incidents are sickening and must be condemned.

“This bill, introduced by Senators Hirono and Duckworth, will help coordinate the federal response to hate crimes. It requires the Justice Department to accelerate review of all COVID-19 hate crimes, mandates guidance for the creation of online hate crimes reporting systems and requires the issuance of best practices to limit discriminatory language when talking about the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The anti-Asian xenophobia we’ve seen has been heartbreaking. Attacks against the elderly in particular have been heinous. Passing this bill will help us better identify and respond to these terrible hate crimes. I’m proud to vote for this bill and will continue to fight against hate wherever and whenever it appears.”

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