Michelle Steel: “I thank the gentleman for yielding. I rise today to condemn the discrimination and violence that our Asian-American and…”

“I thank the gentleman for yielding. I rise today to condemn the discrimination and violence that our Asian-American and Pacific Islander community has experienced. Between March and December of last year, nearly 4,000 firsthand accounts of anti-AAPI hate crimes were recorded in the United States. It is heartbreaking to read the news stories of these crimes, and my heart goes out to all those who have been victims of this violence. I have experienced this type of discrimination and racism firsthand. I have been called racist slurs and been treated differently because I am an Asian American. As a proud American and someone who loves this country dearly, I take this rise in violence against our Asian community very seriously. That is why, in February, the very first bill I introduced was a bipartisan resolution to condemn these crimes and encourage better coordination between State, local, and Federal governments to track hate against the AAPI community. Combating hate is a nonpartisan issue, and I am proud that my resolution gained bipartisan support. I am very disappointed that my bipartisan bill was not part of this week's conversation and that we haven't had the opportunity to vote on it yet. Despite my history of work on this and my personal experience, no one in the majority sought out my partnership or input on the anti-Asian hate bills before us today.…”