Washington, DC - Congressional Black Caucus Chairwoman Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick issued the following statement on the passage of H.R. 1592, the Hate Crimes Prevention Act.

"At the beginning of every Congress, every member of this august body takes an oath to "defend and protect the Constitution of the United States, against all enemies, foreign and domestic."  It is an oath that every member of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC), is honored to uphold. One of our most important charges is to protect and defend its citizens, which is precisely what H.R. 1592, the Hate Crimes Prevention Act, introduced by one of the founders of the Congressional Black Caucus, House Judiciary Chairman John Conyers, Jr.  This bill protects all Americans from bias-motivated violence; it provides funds so that local authorities can tackle the tough challenge of hate crimes, and it protects the First Amendment to the Constitution.  It does not criminalize speech or thoughts; it does not give some people "special rights," and it is not anti-Christian. 

The passage of H.R. 1592 sends a powerful message that all crime motivated by hatred and bias will not be tolerated in our society.  This legislation strengthens federal law by providing local authorities with more money to prosecute hate crimes and by expanding the jurisdiction to crimes motivated by bias against the victims actual or perceived sexual orientation, gender, or disability. 

As we celebrate two centuries of the end of the African Slave Trade, it is our hope that today will be the beginning of the end of the decades of mindless hatred, bigotry, and discrimination against all God's children.  All Americans have an investment in a stable, violence free government, and that is exactly what this bill provides."