Asian Wisconzine Section/Heidi M. Pascual
Asian American News
Asian and Pacific Islander American Vote (APIAVOTE) Responds to Senate’s Failure to Vote on Freedom to Vote: John R. Lewis Act
WASHINGTON, DC - Christine Chen, executive director of Asian and Pacific Islander American Vote, issued the following statement after the United States Senate failed to put the Freedom to Vote: John R. Lewis Act to a vote.
“We at APIAVote are greatly disappointed with the Senate’s failure to put the Freedom to Vote: John R. Lewis Act to a vote. In 2021 alone, 34 new laws in nineteen states were enacted to restrict access to the ballot box and more are under consideration today. It has never been more clear: Americans’ freedom to vote is under attack by some politicians’ decision to place political gain over the integrity of our democracy.”
“Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs) came out to the polls in historic numbers in 2020 and 2021. In many cases, we were the margin of victory that determined elections, and we chose to elect leaders who have helped make significant progress for our communities in the past several months: the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act is now law, California has allocated $150 million for combating anti-Asian Hate, and Illinois and New Jersey will now require Asian American history in schools. All of this is at-risk, however, if our access to voting is diminished.”
“The record participation numbers in the last presidential election and regional elections in 2021 showed that the increased turnout by AAPIs was driven by a preference to vote early, vote by mail, and use ballot drop off boxes. The Freedom to Vote: John R. Lewis Act addressed our key concerns around voter protection and ensured the ability for every American to participate in safe, accessible, and transparent elections. This legislation also standardizes voter identification requirements and increases penalties for voter intimidation, protecting members of our community from being discriminated against and interrogated at the polls."
“The failure in the Senate chamber today is NOT the end of our fight for voting rights. AAPIs have come too far for our progress to be taken away by those who stand in the way of open and fair elections. We ask our fellow Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander citizens to join our fight by making it clear to the politicians that we will not tolerate barriers to voting for voters of color, veterans, voters with disabilities, rural voters, new Americans, or young people. We will not accept efforts to remove local election officials or harass them to prevent them from counting every vote. We will move forward and protect the voice and vote of every American — by educating our communities about their rights, registering our communities to vote, and encouraging our communities to get out to the polls.”
“We demand Congress, the White House, and state legislatures act to protect voting rights — whatever it takes.”
About APIAVote: Asian and Pacific Islander American Vote (APIAVote) is a national nonpartisan organization that works with partners to mobilize Asian American Pacific Islanders (AAPI) in electoral and civic participation. APIAVote envisions a world that is inclusive, fair, and collaborative, and where AAPI communities are self-determined, empowered, and engaged. See our website for more information at http://www.apiavote.org/
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CAPAC Chair Statement on America COMPETES Act
Washington, D.C. , Feb. 4— The House of Representatives today passed H.R. 4521, the America COMPETES Act, a comprehensive package of science, commerce, trade, foreign policy, manufacturing, and education policy to improve American competitiveness. This bill includes $2 billion to support industries reliant on semiconductors, like automobiles and electronics and another $45 billion to improve supply chain resilience and manufacturing technology. The America COMPETES Act will also make investments in the future, by creating a new Directorate for Science and Engineering Solutions to accelerate research and development that address pressing issues like climate change, cybersecurity, and global competitiveness. It modernizes our support for workers who have lost jobs due to trade while also improving our laws to ensure trade is more fair to the US, while continuing to protect the supply chain. Rep. Judy Chu (CA-27), Chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC), issued the following statement:
“The bill we passed today is a crucial one for investing in America’s future. We need stronger manufacturing capabilities, more investments in STEM, fairer trade laws, and a stronger supply chain. All of that is included in the America COMPETES Act and I’m grateful to the Members of Congress who used this opportunity to focus on these policies and what this legislation will do for America. It is important that we are specific about what our challenges are and specific about what we plan to do to meet them, and I appreciate the many Members on the Democratic side who did just that, informing their constituents while making the case for policies that will help our country. And I am grateful that the House adopted my amendment on the importance of opposing the targeting of Chinese researchers and scientists based on their race, something we’ve seen ruin numerous careers and lives already.
“Unfortunately, there are still many who have made a choice to rely only on xenophobia and hate. Instead of debating the merits of this massive bill and its billions of dollars of investments, Republicans chose instead to use rhetoric that we know puts Asian American lives at risk. Last week, in advance of this debate, I reminded my colleagues about the murder of Vincent Chin, a Chinese American killed by two out-of-work autoworkers who blamed Japan for losing their jobs. We know that telling people to blame an entire country or people for their troubles is dangerous. That is precisely why we spoke out against slurs like ‘China virus.’ But Republicans insisted on using this language, even though it was contributing to an historic spike in anti-Asian hate crimes. And, sadly, we are seeing the same behavior again today, with innocent Asian Americans paying the price. However, I remain encouraged by the positive debate among those who engaged with the substance of the bill. I’m optimistic that this legislation will leave America stronger and hopeful that it will set a tone for future debates to be focused on policy, not fear.
