Joe Biden’s remarks at a Thursday White House signing ceremony for the COVID–19 Hate Crimes Act were briefly interrupted by a ringing cellphone belonging to one of his invited guests, prompting another unscripted presidential moment.
The phone appeared to ring twice before being hastily silenced, but not before it caught his attention.
“I don’t know who’s calling, but tell them we’re busy,” Biden joked, eliciting laughter from the gathered lawmakers and other attendees, the first crowd to pack the East Room since the pandemic began last spring. “I was going to say, unless that’s my sister, but she’s here.”
and here’s the video… pic.twitter.com/DnJWECqrSD
— Christian Datoc (@TocRadio) May 20, 2021
The bill, a response to the rise in hate crimes committed against members of the Asian American and Pacific Islander communities throughout the coronavirus pandemic, passed the House of Representatives in a 364-62 vote on Tuesday. The Senate passed the bill in April.
The law establishes a federally standardized procedure for reporting hate crimes, a focal point of the legislation for New York Democratic congresswoman Grace Meng and Hawaii Democratic Sen. Mazie Hirono, the bill’s sponsors in each chamber.
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You can watch the president’s remarks in full below.
