In fact, Schiff’s amendment failed 21-10, even with an update to include “bigotry motivated by hate toward any faith,” a change Republicans requested but then voted against. “I find it astounding that an amendment that says we should support efforts to combat domestic violent extremism in the United States in these forums has opposition, that that’s somehow considered woke,” Schiff said. “I would submit that those that think we’re not seeing an explosion of hate are asleep and maybe they should wake up.”
HATE CRIMES
In 2020, hate crimes in the United States reached the country’s highest levels in 12 years, having risen by 30%, according to a study by the FBI. Those crimes were perpetrated because of a person’s ethnicity, race or ancestry 60% of the time. And the FBI found that crimes against Asian Americans increased by 70%. Congress passed the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act in 2021 recognizing that hate crimes against Asian American and Pacific Islander communities had increased because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Bishop, who said Schiff’s amendment seemed to be advocating for “wokeism,” asked Schiff what AAPI stood for, a question that led to pushback.
Rep. Pramila Jayapal, a Democrat from Washington state, told Bishop the country has 22 million Asian American and Pacific Islanders. The U.S. Census found, in 2020, that 17,565 people in Bishop’s district identify as Asian and 97 as Pacific Islanders. “I just don’t know the acronym because I don’t focus on that all the time,” Bishop said. Schiff offered to remove the word “support” and replace it with a call to “oversee” the federal efforts to combat this type of domestic terrorism, but Republicans voted that down.
THE DEEP STATE
Schiff said before the vote that he didn’t think Bishop’s concern about the amendment had anything to do with the language of the bill or ensuring oversight against hate crimes. He believed Bishop wanted to defeat the amendment because it would take away from looking into “deep-state conspiracy theories.” Bishop provided his vote for House Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s leadership in order to get a subcommittee of the judiciary committee that would investigate the work of the FBI, the Department of Justice, the Department of Homeland Security and other federal agencies
“We don’t need to look into deep-state conspiracy theories when we’ve got abundant evidence of domestic violence extremism and we have a rise of each and every form of hate,” Schiff said. “We see it escalating in social media, we see it motivating people to commit mass shootings. It seems like every week we have an anniversary of another terrible tragedy motivated by hate as well as a new crime committed because of hate, so I hope we would both support and oversee our efforts to make sure we’re bringing maximum resources to bear to confront this predominant terrorism threat because this is where it’s coming from now — it’s coming from within.” Bishop argued that Schiff’s statements amplified that he was not coming from a place of neutrality or bipartisanship. “It also reinforces that, in fact, you want to go on a soapbox about this notion that seems to be so predominant among the minority to demonize … half of the United States population, or more,” he said, “to call them out as though they’re some sort of enemies to the country, and I think that’s a very unbecoming thing.” Schiff said Bishop was making the disturbing allegation that half of the country could be involved in hate crimes, and said he hopes Bishop does not actually believe that.
CRIMES AGAINST CHURCHES
Rep. Ken Buck, a Republican from Colorado, asked if Schiff would allow additional language about oversight of bigotry against employees at pregnancy resource centers. Schiff said that that did not belong in an amendment about white nationalism, antisemitism and crimes against the AAPI communities. Buck then asked to include in the amendment crimes against Christian churches and other faiths.
Schiff said he would include “bigotry against any faith,” but he would not specify a particular religion. A new debate ensued about why the Jewish community could receive a specific mention but not other faiths. Buck noted many shootings have taken place at churches. Schiff called such shootings “repugnant,” adding that that is how he categorizes attacks on any faith. Crimes against someone motivated by their religion made up 15% of the hate crimes in the United States, followed by crimes based on sexual orientation at 13%, according to the FBI’s study.
SUPPORT FOR THE JEWISH AND AAPI COMMUNITIES
Rep. Deborah Ross, a Democrat from Wake County, voiced support for Schiff’s amendment and said she returned to her district the weekend after a past hearing on AAPI discrimination and hate crimes and was touched not only by the number of people who watched the hearing in full, but by those who rallied that weekend against anti-AAPI hate crimes. Rep. David Cicilline, a Democrat from Rhode Island, said the amendment was consistent with what law enforcement says is the “greatest threat to Americans.” He said by using antisemitism and AAPI in the amendment, they are describing where the worst crimes are happening.
“I don’t consider supporting federal efforts to combat domestic violence extremism as some kind of wokeness,” Schiff said. “I would hope that all of us on both sides of the aisle would recognize what the FBI recognizes as the predominant terrorist threat in the country, and that coming from domestic violent extremism.”