By Ron Kampeas/(JTA) – Lawmakers in Congress continued to press the Trump administration to address perceived spikes in bias crimes in the United States and in antisemitism abroad, reflecting bipartisan concern that President Donald Trump remains insufficiently engaged on the issues. The Senate resolution, approved unanimously late Wednesday, April 5, urged the Trump administration “to continue Federal assistance that may be available for victims of hate crimes” and “to continue safety and preparedness programs for religious institutions, places of worship, and other institutions that have been targeted because of the affiliation of the institutions with any particular religious, racial, or ethnic minority.”

Separately, top House of Representatives lawmakers introduced legislation that would elevate the role of the State Department’s antisemitism monitor, a response to reports that Trump plans to scrap the position. The legislation, introduced by Reps. Chris Smith, R-N.J., and Eliot Engel, D-N.Y., would elevate the position to ambassador level and ban “double-hatting,” or assign the position to someone who already has another assignment.

Bipartisan backing for the initiatives suggests a rare example of an adversarial relationship between the White House and both parties in Congress.

The Senate resolution also urged federal agencies to improve the reporting of hate crimes, which anti-bias groups have said for years is uneven and at times unreliable, and calling for an interagency task force “to collaborate on the development of effective strategies and efforts to detect and deter hate crime in order to protect minority communities.” Sens. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., Marco Rubio, R-Fla., Susan Collins, R-Maine, and Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., initiated the resolution.