Senate votes to open debate on COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act amid rise in anti-Asian violence in US

WASHINGTON – In a rare show of bipartisanship, the Senate voted 92 to 6 to move forward and discuss a bill aimed at COVID-19 hate crimes, specifically those targeting Asian communities in the U.S. Though timely, the COVID-19 Hate Crime Act is also a relatively modest measure that supporters see as a first step in a federal response to the rise in hate crimes targeting Asian communities. It would assign a point person within the Justice Department to expedite the review of COVID-19-related hate crimes and provide support for local law enforcement to respond to such incidents. The department would…