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WASHINGTON - Today, Congressman Ted W. Lieu (D-Los Angeles) and Congresswoman Lucy McBath (D-Georgia) introduced the Stop Hate Crimes Act, legislation that changes the federal hate crimes law. Hate crimes are often difficult to prosecute because courts have interpreted the federal statute to require that prosecutors show the victim's race, religion, gender, sexual orientation or other protected characteristic was the sole reason for the crime. The Stop Hate Crimes Act provides a solution to this onerous standard.
WASHINGTON – Today, Congressman Ted W. Lieu, Congressman Rodney Davis, Congressman Glenn Thompson, Congressman Mike Thompson and Congresswoman Ann Kuster reintroduced the Bear Protection Act. The bill seeks to prohibit the import, export, possession, transport and sale of bear organs. Allowing commercial poaching for bear organs puts the animals at risk for inhumane treatment. The reintroduction of the bill comes months after China's Ministry of Health announced that it considered bear bile an effective palliative treatment for COVID-19.