Rep. Nadler Pulls House Democrats’ ‘COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act’ From Consideration

House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerry Nadler announced Tuesday morning that he was pulling the “COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act” from consideration, according to Republican Kentucky Rep. Thomas Massie.

“Judiciary Committee just gaveled in,” Massie wrote. “Chairman Nadler announced he has pulled this and the other hate crime bill from consideration today. Perhaps some of the Democrats realized how ridiculous this bill is.”

Judiciary Committee just gaveled in. Chairman Nadler announced he has pulled this and the other hate crime bill from consideration today. Perhaps some of the Democrats realized how ridiculous this bill is.

— Thomas Massie (@RepThomasMassie) April 20, 2021

Massie said on Twitter earlier Tuesday morning that House Democrats were planning to pass the bill, which he called “insanity.”

“There’s a lot of unnecessary hate towards those who won’t wear masks unnecessarily, but that’s not what this bill is about,” he wrote. “This bill is insanity.” (RELATED: ‘F*** You, You Don’t Belong Here’: 65-Year-Old Asian Woman Brutally Attacked While On Her Way To Church In New York)

This is not a joke, Democrats are going to pass a COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act in our judiciary committee today.

There’s a lot of unnecessary hate toward those who won’t wear masks unnecessarily, but that’s not what this bill is about.

This bill is insanity. pic.twitter.com/Rc837qzQvw

— Thomas Massie (@RepThomasMassie) April 20, 2021

The representative posted photos of the bill, which defines a “COVID-19 hate crime” as a violent crime motivated by a person’s “actual or perceived relationship to the spread of COVID-19” because of characteristics like race, religion, sexual orientation, or age.

The COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act would expand “culturally competent and linguistically appropriate public education campaigns,” establish an online reporting system for hate crimes and expand data collection. It also mandates that the attorney general and the secretary of Health and Human Services “issue guidance describing best practices to mitigate racially discriminatory language in describing the COVID-19 pandemic.”

“Why can you say ‘UK strain’ and ‘South African strain,’ yet ‘Wuhan virus’ is forbidden?” Massie asked. The representative later said Nadler announced that the bill would not be considered on Tuesday.

Former President Donald Trump was criticized by Democrats for repeatedly referring to coronavirus as the “Wuhan virus” because it originated in Wuhan, China. White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said in March that there was “no question” Trump’s use of the term contributed to the rise in hate crimes against Asian-Americans.

The Senate recently passed the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act, which was introduced by Democratic Hawaii Sen. Mazie Hirono, with overwhelming bipartisan support. President Joe Biden signaled his support for the legislation and urged Congress to pass it in March.

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