US Congress passes Bill to fight rise in anti-Asian crimes

This article is more than 12 months old

May 20, 2021 06:00 am

WASHINGTON US lawmakers on Tuesday sent an anti-hate Bill to President Joe Biden's desk that aims to prevent violence against Asian Americans, following an alarming rise in attacks, including murders, during the coronavirus pandemic.

The House of Representatives passed the Covid-19 Hate Crimes Act with a strong bipartisan vote of 364 to 62, weeks after it cleared the Senate with nearly unanimous support.

Mr Biden backs the legislation, which will speed up reviews of Covid-related hate crimes against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI), expand public awareness about the problem, and provide state and local governments guidance on combating hate crimes.

White House spokesman Jen Psaki tweeted that Mr Biden "looks forward to signing this important legislation into law at the White House later this week".

More than 6,600 incidences of anti-AAPI discrimination and violence were reported between March last year and March this year, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said. - AFP