United States: US Attorney General Pushes for New Hate Crimes Law.

Section: General News - U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder is calling on Congress to pass a new, expanded hate crimes law that would permit the federal government to prosecute cases of violence based on disability, gender and sexual orientation. Democrats have been trying to update the current hate crimes law for more than a decade, which already makes it a federal crime to attack someone because of their race, creed or color.

Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy reminded everyone listening to Thursday's hearing of the recent shooting death of an African American security guard at the Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C., saying hate crimes are still a …