Letter to Honorable Dick Durbin, Chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary and Honorable Cory Booker, Chairman of the Subcommittee on Criminal Justice and Counterterrorism - Cotton, Grassley Call for Hearing on Hate Crimes Against Asian Americans

Letter

Dear Chairman Durbin and Chairman Booker:

We write today to request a hearing of the full Committee or the Crime Subcommittee related to
the rise in violent crime across the country, in particular the surge in violent crimes against Asian
Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI).

Every one of us is horrified to see incidents in which our fellow Americans are attacked because
of their race or ethnicity. We understand that Attorney General Garland is conducting a 30-day
review of violence against AAPI Americans, which we hope will improve the federal
government's capacity to track and identify hate crimes, review civil enforcement authorities,
and assess whether additional resources are needed to support law enforcement's response to this
violence. This review is scheduled to be completed in the coming weeks.

Congress's attention to the findings of this review, including whether there is a need for
additional resources or to adjust relevant legal authorities, will be necessary. We request a
hearing on this issue at the earliest possible opportunity after that review is completed.

We are concerned to see that such an important issue has not already received Committee or
Subcommittee attention. Instead, S. 937, the "COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act," has been moved to
the Senate floor with little commentary, factfinding, or Committee consideration. We believe the
Senate should have the benefit of hearing from the Department of Justice before blindly acting
on this issue. As we know that each of you believes very strongly in the importance of
Committee process, we hope you will support this request.

Sincerely,

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