Congressman Cohen Endorses Asian American Hate Crimes Measure in Floor Speech
“Maybe we’ll see an end to this intolerance,” he says.
WASHINGTON – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09), Chairman of the Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties, today spoke from the House floor in support of the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act, intended to address violence aimed at Asian Americans during the pandemic and intended to improve the reporting and enforcement of all hate crimes more broadly.
The measure is expected to pass the House later today.
In his remarks, Congressman Cohen said in part:
"I want to thank my most capable and socially aware counsel to my Subcommittee…who brought this issue to my attention long before the tragedy in Atlanta…Religion, race and national origin should not be the basis for any discrimination, so I'm pleased that these bills are being offered, that they're going to going to pass this House…Reporting will be better, enforcement will be better and maybe we'll see an end to this intolerance."
See his entire remarks here.
Chairman Cohen presided at a hearing on Discrimination and Violence Against Asian Americans on March 18 which focused on both historic systemic racism and the alarming increase in anti-Asian violence, discrimination and hate speech related to the coronavirus pandemic.