Pelosi addresses hate crimes, San Jose shooting

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi holds a press event Thursday with leaders of the San Francisco Asian American Pacific Islander community to discuss the still-rising threat of anti-Asian discrimination and violence and highlight the enactment the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act.

The legislation was signed by President Joe Biden last week to curtail a dramatic rise in hate crimes against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.  Biden expressed pride that lawmakers who seem to agree on little else came together against hate and racism.

Pelosi told those attending "the bill strengthens our ability to prevent report and combat hate crimes and will help protect not only AAPI families, but all Americans from bigoted violence."

"We did this for the AAPI community, but we really are doing it for America, to make America live up, live up to our standards."

The COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act includes the text of the NO HATE Act to provide more resources for training on hate crimes data collection, reporting and response.

The new law will expedite Justice Department reviews of hate crimes by putting an official in charge of the effort.

Federal grants will be available to help local law enforcement agencies improve their investigation, identification and reporting of bias-driven incidents, which often go underreported.

The House approved the bill 364-62 last week, following the Senate's 94-1 vote in April.

Pelosi included in her remarks comments on the nine people killed after an employee opened fire at a San Francisco Bay Area transit agency.

"So many families are suffering from gun violence in our country. It has to stop, and we will not stop until we get the legislation to protect the American people," she said.

"Our thoughts and prayers are all of whom have suffered from violence. And, of course, within the past day or so what happened in Santa Clara. Their families are in our hearts and in our prayers, but that's just not good enough. We have to act. We have to take action to pass legislation for gun violence protection."

The San Jose shootings Wednesday occurred at the Valley Transportation Authority.