A resolution condemning the horrific shootings in Atlanta, Georgia, on March 16, 2021, and reaffirming the commitment of the Senate to combating hate, bigotry, and violence against the Asian-American and Pacific Islander community.

III 117TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION S. RES. 140 Condemning the horrific shootings in Atlanta, Georgia, on March 16, 2021, and reaffirming the commitment of the Senate to combating hate, big- otry, and violence against the Asian-American and Pacific Islander com- munity. IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES MARCH 25, 2021 Mr. WARNOCK (for himself, Ms. DUCKWORTH, Mr. MARKEY, Mr. BLUMENTHAL, Mr. CASEY, Mr. WYDEN, Mr. CARPER, Mr. VAN HOLLEN, Ms. HIRONO, Mr. WHITEHOUSE, Mr. SCHATZ, Mr. DURBIN, Mr. REED, Mr. SANDERS, Mr. KAINE, Mrs. FEINSTEIN, Ms. CANTWELL, Mr. MUR- PHY, Mr. BROWN, Mr. PADILLA, Mrs. MURRAY, Ms. HASSAN, Mr. COONS, Mr. MENENDEZ, Mr. BOOKER, Ms. CORTEZ MASTO, Ms. BALD- WIN, Ms. KLOBUCHAR, Ms. WARREN, Ms. ROSEN, Mr. MERKLEY, and Mr. OSSOFF) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary RESOLUTION Condemning the horrific shootings in Atlanta, Georgia, on March 16, 2021, and reaffirming the commitment of the Senate to combating hate, bigotry, and violence against the Asian-American and Pacific Islander commu- nity. Whereas, on March 16, 2021, a shooter murdered 8 people and injured 1 in the Atlanta, Georgia region in 3 sepa- rate shootings that took place at Asian American-owned spas; VerDate Sep 11 2014 18:28 Mar 26, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\SR140.IS SR140 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 2 •SRES 140 IS Whereas the people of the United States mourn the 8 inno- cent lives lost—7 of whom were women, 6 of whom were women of Asian descent, and several of whom were immi- grants; Whereas the victims included Xiaojie ‘‘Emily’’ Tan, Daoyou Feng, Delaina Ashley Yaun, Paul Andre Michels, Yong Ae Yue, Soon Chung ‘‘Julie’’ Park, Hyun Jung Grant, and Suncha Kim; Whereas 49-year-old Xiaojie ‘‘Emily’’ Tan, a hardworking mother and the owner of one of the spas, was a dedicated and caring business owner who is survived by her daugh- ter and husband; Whereas 44-year-old Daoyou Feng was an employee who re- cently began working at one of the spas; Whereas 33-year-old Delaina Ashley Yaun, a newlywed and mother of 2, was at one of the spas to receive a couple’s massage with her husband when her life was cut short; Whereas 54-year-old Paul Andre Michels was a caring hus- band and United States Army veteran who did mainte- nance work for one of the spas and is survived by his wife; Whereas 63-year-old Yong Ae Yue was a mother of 2 sons who was known for her kindness and generosity and her love of her pet Shih Tzu; Whereas 74-year-old Soon Chung ‘‘Julie’’ Park was a mother and grandmother who helped manage one of the spas and helped to prepare meals for the employees; Whereas 51-year-old Hyun Jung Grant was a former elemen- tary school teacher and hardworking single mother who dedicated her life to raising her 2 sons; VerDate Sep 11 2014 18:28 Mar 26, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\SR140.IS SR140 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 3 •SRES 140 IS Whereas 69-year-old Suncha Kim was a wife, mother, and grandmother who enjoyed line dancing and had been married for more than 50 years; Whereas the Georgia shootings came in the midst of an alarming surge in anti-Asian hate crimes and incidents that have caused many Asian Americans across the United States to feel fearful and unsafe; Whereas the use of anti-Asian terminology and rhetoric to refer to COVID–19, such as the ‘‘Chinese virus’’, ‘‘Wuhan virus’’, and ‘‘kung flu’’ perpetuate anti-Asian stigma that has resulted in Asian Americans being har- assed, assaulted, and scapegoated for the COVID–19 pandemic; Whereas, in 2020, anti-Asian hate crimes increased by nearly 150 percent in major cities throughout the United States; Whereas, according to a recent report by Stop AAPI Hate, there were nearly 3,800 reported cases of anti-Asian dis- crimination related to COVID–19 between March 19, 2020 and February 28, 2021; Whereas 68 percent of reported incidents of anti-Asian hate targeted Asian-American women, a population that has been historically marginalized, sexualized, and fetishized; Whereas, on March 19, 2021, President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris met with Asian-American lead- ers in Georgia and reaffirmed their strong commitment to condemning and combating racism, xenophobia, and violence targeting the Asian-American community; and Whereas the people of the United States will always remem- ber the victims of these shootings and stand in solidarity with those affected by this senseless tragedy: Now, there- fore, be it VerDate Sep 11 2014 18:28 Mar 26, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\SR140.IS SR140 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 4 •SRES 140 IS Resolved, That the Senate— 1 (1) condemns the heinous and inexcusable acts 2 of gun violence that led to the tragic loss of 8 lives 3 in Georgia on March 16, 2021; 4 (2) condemns any racism and sexism in the 5 choice of the shooter to target Asian American- 6 owned businesses and murder 6 women of Asian de- 7 scent; 8 (3) honors the memory of the victims, offers 9 heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims, 10 and recognizes that the healing process will be long 11 and difficult for the Asian-American and Pacific-Is- 12 lander community and all communities impacted by 13 this tragedy; and 14 (4) reaffirms the commitment of the United 15 States Federal Government to combating hate, big- 16 otry, and violence against Asian Americans and Pa- 17 cific Islanders and to prevent tragedies like this 18 from ever happening again. 19 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 18:28 Mar 26, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\SR140.IS SR140 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS