Photo by Adam Chau The Senate passed the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act Thursday with a bipartisan vote of 94-1, CNN reports. The bill was meant to denounce hate crimes against the Asian communities amidst the pandemic. It creates a new Justice Department position to coordinate the review of potential COVID-19 related hate crimes. The bill was sponsored by New York Democratic Rep. Grace Meng and Hawaii Democratic Sen. Mazie Hirono in March, according to NBC News. It gained more support in the wake of the Atlanta shootings that killed six Asian women on March 16. Republicans were initially skeptical of the bill, questioning the effectiveness of the bill’s solutions. Ultimately, after deliberating over amendments, the bill received bipartisan support. Missouri Republican Senator Josh Hawley was the only Senator to vote against the bill.