Every Senator Supported Anti-Asian Hate Bill — Except Josh Hawley

WASHINGTON, DC — In a nearly-extinct display of bipartisanship, the U.S. Senate on Thursday passed a bill aimed at fighting hate crimes against Asian Americans, which have increased since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic.

The bill, which aims to speed up investigations of violence against Asian Americans, passed with a 94-1 vote.

The lone senator voting against the bill was Republican Sen. Josh Hawley from Missouri, The Associated Press reported.

Hawley, an up-and-comer in the GOP, became widely known by most Americans in the hours and days following the Jan. 6 insurrection on the U.S. Capitol. On the day of the violent attack, Hawley was photographed with his fist raised in the air, a show of support to those who had gathered to then-peacefully protest the certification of the 2020 presidential election results.

Just hours after the violence, Hawley stood steadfast in his own objection, voting to block certification of votes based on unfounded election fraud claims.

"We do need an investigation into irregularities, fraud," Hawley said on the Senate floor on Jan. 6. "We do need a way forward together. We need election security reforms."

A month later, Hawley voted to acquit former President Donald Trump after he was impeached for a second time for inciting the deadly riot.

"This has been a disaster for our country," Hawley said in a statement posted on his website. It has been a bitter, partisan process that has lasted, if we're being honest, for three years. Democrats started the impeachment process the day that Donald Trump took his hand off the Bible and was inaugurated as President of the United States."

Since the start of the pandemic, police have noted an uptick in violent crimes against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. Examples include the February death of an 84-year-old man who was pushed to the ground near his home in San Francisco, a family that was injured in a Texas grocery store attack last year and the killing of six Asian women in shootings last month in metro Atlanta, The AP reported.

The bill passed Thursday was a rare show of solidarity from both parties, denouncing these acts of violence. The goal also is to provide additional support to local law enforcement agencies in investigating these hate crimes.

Why did Hawley vote against the bill? It was too broad, according to a report by The Hill.

“As a former prosecutor, my view is it’s dangerous to simply give the federal government open-ended authority to define a whole new class of federal hate crime incidents," The Hill reported, citing a statement from the senator.

A spokesperson for Hawley did not return a request for comment by The Associated Press.