1 Year Since His Murder, George Floyd's Family Meets With President Biden In Hopes Of Advancing Police Reform
WASHINGTON, D.C. (WCCO) -- The Floyd family went to Washington to meet with key lawmakers in Congress and President Joe Biden himself Tuesday.
They're pushing a police reform bill in George Floyd's name.
That meeting lasted an hour at the White House, but Floyd's family, including his brothers and daughter, took a short ride to Capitol Hill, where lawmakers still haven't passed the police reform bill in Floyd's name.
Biden previously wanted that passed and signed into law by Tuesday, the very day he died a year ago, but the family and lawmakers are still hopeful.
The chant that's reverberated through the streets of Minneapolis and across the country and world – "Say his name, George Floyd" -- echoed this time at the White House, where Floyd's family got a private meeting with Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris.
"I think genuinely he wanted to know exactly how we were doing and what he could do to support us and he did let us know that he supports passing the bill but wants to make sure it's the right bill and not a rushed bill," Brandon Williams, George Floyd's nephew, said.
That bill -- the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act -- passed the Democrat-controlled House in March but has since stalled in the Senate. Some of its provisions include making it easier to prosecute officers accused of misconduct, ending use of chokeholds, banning no-knock warrants in federal drug cases and creating a national registry to track police misconduct.
"If you make federal laws to protect the bird, which is the bald eagle, you can make federal laws to protect people of color," Philonise Floyd said.
The family met with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi early Tuesday morning, and following the White House meeting went back to Capitol Hill to meet with New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker, a lead on the bill in the Senate.
He says they are working through negotiations and conversations have been positive and productive, but Republicans and Democrats are still far apart.
"I wish there was just one sticking point," Booker said. "There are still some gulfs to bridge. But I'm encouraged with Sen. Tim Scott, who's my Republican counterpart in the Senate negotiating with me, that we both have shared values."
Booker says he hope a deal is reached in weeks, not months, and the White House says it wants a proposal on the president's desk as soon as possible. All of this comes as Minnesota state lawmakers are trying to sort their own police reform deal back in St. Paul.