The legislation emerged in response to recent claims of an increase in attacks and harassment of Asian Americans during the coronavirus pandemic. The coronavirus was first detected in Wuhan, China, in 2019. Ambiguous and incomplete statistics on Asian hate crimes, however, raise questions about whether the problem is getting worse.
“This isn’t some kind of gotcha legislation. This is legislation that our times demand,” Mr. Schumer said of the bill, which would, among other measures, issue nonbinding national guidance “to mitigate racially discriminatory language in describing the COVID-19 pandemic.”
Sen. John Cornyn, Texas Republican, told reporters Monday that he considered the proposal “a messaging vote.” A day later, he said the bill’s fate would depend on the amendments to it.