The Senate took an historic step today with the near-unanimous passage of the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act. a bill designed to address rising violence and discrimination against Asian Americans in the wake of former President Donald Trump’s attempt’s to blame China for his own failure to stem the widespread infection of the American populace with the deadly coronavirus that he insisted on labeling the “China virus” or the Wuhan flu.”
The bill will expedite the Justice Department’s review on hate crimes, designate a DOJ official to oversee those efforts, and beef up local resources to increase awareness of targeted violence against Asian-Americans.
While most legislation these days passes along strict party-line votes, the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act is the rare bill that got overwhelmingly bipartisan support from both Democrats and Republicans, with only that most seditious of GOP senators, Josh Hawley (R-MO) daring to display his lack of concern for the rising tide of bigotry against people of Asian descent.
Hawley dissembled wildly in his excuse for his lone vote in opposition to the bill, mischaracterizing the contents of the legislation when explaining why he took such a lonely stance.
“I’m just concerned the bill is hugely broad, hugely open-ended,” Hawley told journalists about his opinion of the law before its passage. “It’s just, you know, the ability and power to define crimes, to define incidents going forward, and collect all that data, it just seemed hugely, hugely over broad.”
With the bill containing no such provisions to define new crimes, it’s no wonder that every other GOP senator present today ignored Senator Hawley’s comments and voted to pass the legislation which now goes to the House of Representatives for its expected approval before heading to President Biden’s desk.
Hawley’s defiant “no” vote did not escape the notice of the senator’s critics on social media who piled on the derision in their posts slamming the Missouri Senator for his deplorable contrarian stance.
Josh Hawley is the Marjorie Taylor Greene of Tucker Carlsons.
— George Takei (@GeorgeTakei) April 22, 2021
Josh Hawley, on-brand.
(And that brand is "asshole") https://t.co/hgvvSAhO1J
— Rick Wilson (@TheRickWilson) April 22, 2021
I repeat: fuck Josh Hawley. https://t.co/g6QH05qiUM
— Eugene Lee Yang (@EugeneLeeYang) April 22, 2021
Add your name to demand Congress raise the minimum wage to $15 per hour!
https://twitter.com/swimmerbr78/status/1385316628435460106?s=20
Josh Hawley is the only thing more repulsive than Tucker Carlson’s laugh.
— Jack Cocchiarella (@JDCocchiarella) April 22, 2021
The Senate just passed the anti-Asian hate crimes bill 94-1.
The one opposed? Everyone’s least-favorite treasonweasel, Josh Hawley.
— Angry Staffer (@Angry_Staffer) April 22, 2021
Josh Hawley is an embarrassment to the Senate and the nation https://t.co/tUhy68RQUd
— The Lincoln Project (@ProjectLincoln) April 22, 2021
Josh Hawley is a hate crime
— Jeff Tiedrich (@itsJeffTiedrich) April 22, 2021
Josh Hawley is the only Senator to vote AGAINST the bill combatting hate crimes against Asian Americans
Thanks a lot for denying our humanity.
— Lindy Li (@lindyli) April 22, 2021
The story isn’t that Josh Hawley voted against the COVID 19 Hate Crimes Act. The story is that it passed the Senate today and will become law. Let’s focus on all the good it’s going to do. That little wanker Josh Hawley will get what’s coming to him in the end.
— Palmer Report (@PalmerReport) April 22, 2021
Josh Hawley seems to hate every American who didn’t attack our Capitol. https://t.co/2xbUYQjGZL
— Adam Parkhomenko (@AdamParkhomenko) April 22, 2021
Not fun fact: Josh Hawley is the ONLY Senator who voted “no” as the Senate passed an anti-Asian hate crimes bill, 99 to 1. So, is Hawley for hate crimes against Asian-Americans?
— Barbara Malmet (@B52Malmet) April 22, 2021
The U.S. Senate just passed the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act to fight hate crimes against Asian-Americans.
The vote was 94-1.
The 1 was Josh Hawley.
I cannot stress this enough: Josh Hawley's office number is (202) 224-6154.— God (@TheTweetOfGod) April 22, 2021
Josh Hawley is objectively pro-hate crime https://t.co/PjzNnjmYjX
— Parker Molloy (@ParkerMolloy) April 22, 2021
Hurrah for today’s 94-1 vote for the anti-Asian hate crimes bill, proof that the Senate can still work to address national problems. The vote was 94 – 1. Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) was the lone no vote. He’s a disgusting throwback to our darkest times. https://t.co/6MIgn42SKu
— Laurence Tribe (@tribelaw) April 22, 2021
https://twitter.com/labyrinthweaver/status/1385306087717412869?s=20
https://twitter.com/NotHoodlum/status/1385313810140049410?s=20
https://twitter.com/ImSpeaking13/status/1385303203235864576?s=20
Don't be confused.
Josh Hawley still loves hate crimes. pic.twitter.com/sFXgZ0pYAn
— Tim United (@SirChinHo) April 22, 2021
https://twitter.com/ImSpeaking13/status/1385305379681177600?s=20
Hawley has an unbroken record of assholery. https://t.co/0es48GOFbD
— Vinnie Longobardo (@VLongobardo) April 22, 2021
Perhaps everyone should chip in to pool their pennies to purchase a copy of “How To Win Friends and Influence People” for Senator Hawley.
It certainly seems like he needs some re-education as quickly as possible.
Hopefully, the response to his vote on this particular bill will inspire some soul searching by Senator Hawley because his soul currently seems to be missing in action.
Follow Vinnie Longobardo on Twitter.
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