Mazie Hirono: “as the author of this bill, I totally disagree with characterizing it as having had a bitter partisan beginning, but my…”

“as the author of this bill, I totally disagree with characterizing it as having had a bitter partisan beginning, but my colleague is exercising his free speech right, so there you go. After 2 weeks of hard work and bipartisan collaboration, the U.S. Senate is poised to take real action to confront the wave of anti-Asian hate sweeping our country. Although we still have some damaging amendments to defeat, I am confident that, in a few hours, the Senate will pass the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act, as amended, with the substitute Hirono-Collins amendment. By doing so, we will send a powerful message of solidarity to the AAPI community that the Senate will not be a bystander as anti-Asian violence surges in our country. Over the past years, hate crimes targeting the AAPI have risen 150 percent, as noted. More than 3,800 incidents have been reported across all 50 States and the District of Columbia. These statistics paint a disturbing picture of what is happening in our country, but they only quantify part of the problem. Why? Because hate crimes and other incidents are notoriously underrepresented. These attacks have not ceased in the 2 weeks since the Senate began debating this bill. Last Sunday, an 80-year-old woman and her 79-year- old husband, both of Korean descent, were taking an evening walk in a local park near their home in Southern California. Suddenly, without warning, an assailant approached the couple and punched them in their faces.…”