On Thursday, President Biden commemorates the three-year anniversary of George Floyd’s murder by calling for Congress to pass police reform legislation. In his statement, he noted that the murder of Floyd brought to the forefront of everyone’s attention what many people in the Black and Brown communities in the U.S. are going through. He added that they have a commitment to help ensure that everyone in their nation is treated fairly under the law.
On May 25th, 2020, a white police officer kneeled on Floyd’s neck for more than nine minutes. In the video footage, Floyd could be heard stating that he could not breathe. Floyd’s murder led to protests breaking out across the country, with many activists calling for police reform and for an end to police brutality. Three years later, Congress attempted to pass the George Floyd Justice in Police Act, which would completely ban police officers from using chokeholds, carotid holds, and no-knock warrants at the federal level and overhaul their qualified immunity, but has so far been unsuccessful. While the measure successfully passed in 2021 in the House, it failed to pass the Senate.
On Thursday, Biden pushed for Congress to take action toward police reform. He further pointed out that last year he had signed an executive order which banned chokeholds, limited no-knock warrants, and created a database for police misconduct to be recorded.
He added that he is urging Congress to pass meaningful police reforms, even adding that he would sign it into law as soon as it reached his office. He further stated that he was willing to work with both parties to help find solutions.
