Barbara Lee: “I thank the gentleman for yielding and also for his tremendous leadership. And also, I acknowledge Representative Meng…”

“I thank the gentleman for yielding and also for his tremendous leadership. And also, I acknowledge Representative Meng for spearheading this important resolution. Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of H. Res. 908 to condemn all forms of anti-Asian hate speech related to COVID-19. Now, this pandemic is leading to an alarming rate of hateful speech directed at people of Asian and Pacific Islander descent in the United States. And the truth is, as an African American, I know what hate and racism is and I know the violence that results. And the facts are: Since March, there have been over 2,500 reported cases of anti-Asian discrimination related to COVID-19, including over 1,100 cases in my home State of California. At the same time, by no accident or coincidence, the White House continues to refer to COVID-19 as the ``China virus'' and ``kung flu'' trying to shift attention and blame away from this administration's inadequate response and poor leadership. They would rather scapegoat Asian Americans, exacerbating anti-Asian hate and violence. Congress needs to send a clear message that we will stand with our AAPI community, especially during these challenging times, to fight bigotry and racism within our country. Hate speech does lead to violence and discrimination. That is the truth.”