The Congressional Record is a unique source of public documentation. It started in 1873, documenting nearly all the major and minor policies being discussed and debated.
“VIOLENCE AGAINST ASIAN AMERICANS” mentioning the U.S. Dept. of Justice was published in the Senate section on pages S1951 on April 15.
The Department is one of the oldest in the US, focused primarily on law enforcement and the federal prison system. Downsizing the Federal Government, a project aimed at lowering taxes and boosting federal efficiency, detailed wasteful expenses such as $16 muffins at conferences and board meetings.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
VIOLENCE AGAINST ASIAN AMERICANS
Mr. SCHUMER. Madam President, yesterday, an overwhelming bipartisan majority of Senators voted to move forward on Senator Hirono and Senator Duckworth's anti-Asian hate crimes bill. I was pleased the vote was so substantial, 92 to 6. Rarely do you see 92 Senators agree to move forward with any piece of legislation. But if there was ever a topic that deserves a strong showing of bipartisan support, it is standing up to bigotry and racism against a particular group of Americans.
Today, we will continue to work on a bipartisan agreement regarding amendments. I have committed to start the process with the bipartisan Moran-Blumenthal amendment. I understand my Republican colleague from Maine has some modifications to the bill, which we welcome, and those negotiations are proceeding afoot. I expect the Republican leader and I, in consultation with the relevant committees, will be able to figure out an appropriate number of reasonable, germane, and non-gotcha amendments for the Senate to consider.
We are working with Senators Moran, Grassley, and Collins in a very bipartisan way, and we should be able to wrap up this bill next week. By doing so, the Senate will deliver a powerful message to Asian Americans that their voices are heard, their concerns are felt, and that their government will take swift, decisive action to protect them. They are not alone.
Before I move on, I just want to say to my Republican colleagues: This is how the Senate can work, even though it is closely divided. When there is a pressing issue, like the rising tide of anti-Asian violence, the Senate can act quickly and in a bipartisan way to address it.
We don't need to always distrust the other party. This bill was never intended to be a messaging bill or gotcha legislation. This bill is like a drive straight down the middle of the fairway--well-timed, modest, unobjectionable.
At the end of the day, we can achieve a result that has both substantive and symbolic importance: substantive because we are going to adjust the focus of the Justice Department to better respond to anti-Asian hate crimes and symbolic because both parties are standing up to deliver a message that racism and bigotry have no place--no place--in America. That is an undeniably good result
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