New York
(ENS) – More than 130 Episcopal clergy have signed a letter calling on Congress to pass legislation to fight hate crimes in the United States.
The letter is part of an effort organized by the Episcopal Church’s office of government relations in coalition with the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights and the Interfaith Alliance. The bills are cosponsored by 51 senators and 206 representatives.
The U.S. Senate was expected to consider hate crimes legislation by the end of May.
Hate crimes legislation would expand federal jurisdiction to serious, violent hate crimes based on the perceived race, color, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, gender or disability of the victims.