Today, Congressman Jerrold Nadler (NY-08), Chair of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights and Civil Liberties, applauded the passage of the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act in the House of Representatives. Rep. Nadler, who has been an original cosponsor of the bill since its inception, spoke in favor of this legislation today on the House floor. With hate crime incidence increasingly prevalent nationwide, the Act would give the U.S. Department of Justice jurisdiction to assist states and localities in the investigation and prosecution of crimes of violence committed against individuals on the basis of race, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity or disability.

The following is the text of Rep. Nadler’s statement on the floor of the House of Representatives:

“Mr. Speaker, today this House faces an historic test. Will we act decisively to deal with some of the most destructive crimes in our society – violent assaults against victims who are singled out solely because someone doesn’t like who they are?

“Whether committed because of the actual or perceived race, color, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, or disability of the victim, these violent acts are particularly reprehensible because they target not just an individual but an entire group. These crimes do, and are often intended to, spread terror among all members of the group.

“They are intended to say to members of a group, ‘Don’t be who you are. Don’t go where you are not wanted. Do not exercise your civil rights to be yourself, to speak publicly, to go wherever you want.’

“This bill enables the federal government to intervene so as to punish such crimes, and protect the rights of individuals and of groups unpopular in some quarters.

“Do not believe the scare tactics. This bill does not criminalize thoughts or speech. No one will be prosecuted because of what they say or think. No preacher need worry about his sermon. Only crimes of violence are punishable under this bill. The language is clear for anyone who wants to read it.

“The law routinely looks to the motivation behind a criminal act and treats the more heinous of them differently. Manslaughter is different from pre-meditated murder, which is different from a contract killing. We also punish crimes differently if they are terrorist acts, defined as violent acts that ‘appear to be intended to intimidate or coerce a civilian population.’

“Existing civil rights laws take a similar approach. A person who uses force to interfere with someone’s federally protected rights, such as voting, working, attending school and the like, commits a federal crime. That’s been the law for many years. We treat an act of violence more seriously if the intent is to deny someone his or her civil rights.

“The question this bill presents to Members is whether we believe that people assaulted violently because of their identity – their gender or sexual orientation or disability and so forth – deserve federal protection.

“For many years, Congress refused to adopt anti-lynching laws. Those were not proud times in our nation’s history.

“We now have the opportunity to do the right thing. I hope we do.”