Chairwoman Barbara Lee Statement on One-Year Anniversary of Atlanta Spa Shootings
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congresswoman Barbara Lee, Chair of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on State and Foreign Operations and Member of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, issued the following statement marking one year since eight people were killed in the tragic shootings at three spas in Atlanta, Georgia.
“One year ago today, we lost eight Americans in the horrific Atlanta spa shootings. I join the Asian-American community in mourning the victims of that devastating attack and sending my deepest condolences to their loved ones.
“In the year since, anti-Asian hate has continued to spike with 11,000 hate incidents having been reported since March 2020. This is a frightening time for the AAPI community—we must be vigilant and united against the rise of racially motivated crime. There is no place in America for bigotry. Xenophobia and slurs like ‘China virus’ are lethal. I was proud to join my colleagues in CAPAC to help pass the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act to improve our hate crimes response, but we need more action from Congress. I stand with the AAPI community in Atlanta, in the East Bay, and across the country on this day of remembrance.”
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Congresswoman Lee is a member of the House Appropriations Committee and Chair of the Subcommittee on State and Foreign Operations. She serves as Co-Chair of the Steering & Policy Committee, former Chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, Chair Emeritus of the Progressive Caucus, Co-Chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus Health Task Force, and Co-Chair of the Pro-Choice Caucus. She also serves as Chair of the Majority Leader’s Task Force on Poverty and Opportunity. As a member of the House Democratic Leadership, she is the highest ranking Black woman in the U.S. Congress.