WASHINGTON — All eight Republicans who represent Georgia in the U.S. House voted against a resolution that passed condemning the Atlanta spa shootings.
The 244-180 vote included every House Democrat plus several dozen Republicans. The resolution’s text includes the names and biographical details about the eight victims of the March 16 attack plus language “reaffirming the House of Representatives’ commitment to combating hate, bigotry, and violence against the Asian-American and Pacific Islander community.”
Five of Georgia’s six House Democrats voted in favor of the measure; U.S. Rep. David Scott was not present for the vote.
U.S. Rep. Carolyn Bourdeaux cohosted a delegation of lawmakers 12 days after shootings along with other Georgia lawmakers, including U.S. Rep. Nikema Williams. They visited each of the three Asian spas that were targeted. Bourdeaux, a Democrat from Suwanee, said the resolution would send a message to the loved ones of the eight victims, including six women of Asian descent.
“It is a step in the right direction, but only a step,” she said. “America is and has always been a nation of immigrants, a fact that deserves to be celebrated.”
The vote on the resolution came a day after the House passed anti-hate crimes legislation, which is now ready to be signed into law by President Joe Biden. The COVID 19 Hate Crimes Act gained momentum after the spa shootings.
Six of the eight Georgia Republicans in the House voted against the hate-crimes measure. U.S. Rep. Buddy Carter of Pooler was not present for that vote but defended his decision to oppose the resolution condemning the spa shootings, saying he felt it was premature because the incident is still under investigation and a hate crime has not been confirmed.
“I’m against violence, obviously,” Carter said. “I’m against what happened, but I want to make sure that the investigation is finished and that we have a conclusive response as to exactly what happened there.”
HOW THEY VOTED ON H. Resolution 275, condemning the Atlanta spa shootings
“Yes”
U.S. Rep. Sanford Bishop, D-Albany
U.S. Rep. Carolyn Bourdeaux, D-Suwanee
U.S. Rep. Hank Johnson, D-Lithonia
U.S. Rep. Lucy McBath, D-Marietta
U.S. Rep. Nikema Williams, D-Atlanta
“No”
U.S. Rep. Rick Allen, R-Evans
U.S. Rep. Buddy Carter, R-Pooler
U.S. Rep. Andrew Clyde, R-Athens
U.S. Rep. Drew Ferguson, R-West Point
U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Rome
U.S. Rep. Jody Hice, R-Greensboro
U.S. Rep. Barry Loudermilk, R-Cassville
U.S. Rep. Austin Scott, R-Tifton
Did Not Vote
U.S. Rep. David Scott, D-Atlanta
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