WASHINGTON, D.C – As advocates for the civil and human rights of marginalized communities, we were thankful that the Senate Judiciary Committee held its most recent hearing on hate crimes, but we are very concerned that it devolved into one of the uglier displays of bigotry in recent memory.
This hearing was an important opportunity for Congressional leaders to address an urgent threat to our country: The escalation and pervasiveness of hate incidents, particularly targeting Jewish, Arab, Haitian, and Muslim communities. We commend the committee for seeking to confront this alarming trend, yet we continue to raise the alarm at the pervasiveness of bigoted rhetoric that emanates from our elected leaders.
After badgering one of the witnesses and putting words in her mouth, a Senator said that a witness, an Arab American woman, should, “hide your head in a bag.” This comes after weeks of public officials using dehumanizing rhetoric about immigrants and baselessly claiming that Haitian migrants in Ohio were eating pets, carrying diseases, and being in the country illegally when none of which is true.
All forms of hate put marginalized communities at risk. Our communities in El Paso, TX, Buffalo, NY, Pittsburgh, PA, Charlottesville, VA, Charleston, SC, and Poway, CA, among others, have suffered the dire consequences of conspiratorial, hate-based belief systems permeating our political and social sphere. Many, if not all, who have carried out these hate crimes and violent murders have echoed words from elected officials; driven by white nationalist and antisemitic fear-mongering about “replacement” and “invasion.”
This hearing demonstrates both the reality and the urgency for lawmakers, experts, and community leaders to come together, confront the root causes of hate crimes, and explore tangible strategies for addressing disinformation and conspiracy theories that lead to violence. Both witnesses and Members provided encouraging solutions that would slow the proliferation of bigotry and hate-based conspiracy theories. We continue to urge lawmakers to confront this scourge directly and chart a path toward a safer and more prosperous future for all.
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Lindsay Schubiner, Director of Programs, at Western States Center:
“The testimonies at the Senate Judiciary Committee’s hearing highlight the urgent need for actionable strategies to combat disinformation and conspiracy theories that fuel violence. Troublingly, during their Q&A with the witnesses, members engaged in the very hateful rhetoric that this hearing aimed at denouncing and addressing. While we were pleased to see some members continue to search for solutions to combat the spread of bigoted and dehumanizing rhetoric currently threatening the Haitian immigrant community, and public safety overall across the country, the disturbing extent to which overt racism and bigotry have infiltrated our politics was on full display from others. We call on all of our elected leaders to take what they heard in the hearing and use their platforms to clearly and forcefully denounce the racist falsehoods leading to real-world danger across our nation, no matter the source.”
Douglas Rivlin, Senior Director of Communication at America’s Voice:
“In the competition to see which Members of Congress can be most divisive and dedicated to dividing Americans against Americans on the basis of race, religion, and gender, this hearing demonstrated that no low is too low for some Senators. It was a ghastly display of sexism and racism at a hearing rightly dedicated to exploring strategies to address hate crimes. We need more attention from Congress on the problem of hate-driven violence, but we hope that it can be done without provoking the kind of outbursts tied to inciting violence that we witnessed at the hearing itself.”
Jamie Beran, CEO, Bend the Arc: Jewish Action:
“This hearing held a lot of promise. At a time when MAGA Republicans are trying to stir up hate and divide us from each other, this could have been an opportunity to find ways to fight antisemitism and racism together. Yet instead of engaging with the substance of the hearing, Republicans used it as a chance to create even more division by playing on bigoted tropes. As American Jews, we condemn this attempt to pit our community against others who have experienced discrimination. It is beyond unacceptable that they used anti-Arab and anti-Muslim bigotry during a hearing on hate crimes, all in the guise of speaking on behalf of American Jewish safety. The truth is that the safety of all of us is linked together, and that’s why we’re rising up as Jews and allies in solidarity at this moment.”
Margaret Huang, President and CEO, Southern Poverty Law Center and SPLC Action Fund:
“We welcomed the important and much-needed Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on hate crimes. Unfortunately, Sen. John Kennedy of Louisiana saw this as an opportunity to hurl derogatory and harmful rhetoric at an Arab American witness. These comments come at a time when inflammatory and hateful rhetoric is being levied against communities of color, especially immigrant, Muslim, and Arab communities. This type of rhetoric creates a climate where fear, bullying, and hate crimes can thrive–the very thing this hearing set out to address. We call on Sen. Kennedy to apologize and face consequences for his inappropriate comments and questions of the witness.”
