By Colby HallApr 22nd, 2021, 2:54 pm
Tom Williams-Pool/Getty Images
The U.S. Senate just passed the Covid-19 Hate Crimes bill in a bipartisan vote of 94-1. The one outlier in the vote to pass a bill designed to limit the sharp increase in hate crimes towards Asian and Pacific-Island Americans? Missouri Senator
Josh Hawley, whose vote against an anti-hate crimes bill may one day be viewed as the most Hawleyian act ever (though there are plenty of moments that will enter that canon.)
The bill, co-authored by Senator
Mazie Hirono (D-NY) and Rep.
Grace Meng (D-NY) is designed to set stricter legal standards for attacks on Asian-Americans, which have spiked during the coronavirus pandemic, as xenophobic political rhetoric has increased also. CNN reports:
Remote Alaska, Hawaii and Maine Communities to Receive DOE Aid for Energy Security, Costs
From Alaska to Hawaii to Maine, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is working with 11 remote island communities to provide federal assistance to bolster their energy security and ameliorate the high energy costs that come along with living on coastal islands.
The DOE’s Energy Transition Initiative Partnership Project (ETIPP) would use experts to improve alternative energy solutions and improve energy security. The DOE expects the federal assistance would improve energy infrastructure and reduce the risk of outages. Living on a geographically isolated island, communities face high energy costs and weak energy infrastructure because of the increased risk from natural disasters and climate change.
US Senate passes COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act ANI | Updated: Apr 23, 2021 06:00 IST
Washington DC [US], April 23 (ANI): The Senate on Thursday (local time) passed the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act, a bill that aims to end violence specifically targeted at Asian communities in the United States.
The vote was 94-1. The lone vote in opposition was from Missouri Republican Sen. Josh Hawley, CNN reported.
It further reported that the bill would also direct the departments of Justice and Health and Human Services to issue guidance raising awareness of hate crimes during the pandemic, and work with agencies to establish online reporting of them. It now goes to the House before being signed into law by US President Joe Biden.
Photo by Adam Chau
The Senate passed the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act Thursday with a bipartisan vote of 94-1, CNN reports.
The bill was meant to denounce hate crimes against the Asian communities amidst the pandemic. It creates a new Justice Department position to coordinate the review of potential COVID-19 related hate crimes.
The bill was sponsored by New York Democratic Rep. Grace Meng and Hawaii Democratic Sen. Mazie Hirono in March, according to NBC News. It gained more support in the wake of the Atlanta shootings that killed six Asian women on March 16.
Republicans were initially skeptical of the bill, questioning the effectiveness of the bill’s solutions. Ultimately, after deliberating over amendments, the bill received bipartisan support. Missouri Republican Senator Josh Hawley was the only Senator to vote against the bill.