It cleared the initial hurdle with a bipartisan vote of 92-6.
Hate crime legislation intended to combat violence against Asian Americans during the COVID-19 pandemic advanced in the U.S. Senate on Wednesday, easily overcoming the Senate procedural tool known as the filibuster. Senators on Wednesday took a procedural vote on whether to limit debate on the overall bill. Under the chamber’s filibuster rule, at least 60 senators must consent to take that step, requiring bipartisan support since the chamber is divided 50-50. It cleared the initial hurdle with a bipartisan vote of 92-6. It was not immediately clear when the Senate would vote on final passage of the bill. Schumer told Democrats in a meeting on Tuesday that the goal was to pass the bill by the end of the week, according to a Senate Democratic source in the meeting.
