Biden champions police reform while applauding conviction of ‘George Floyd’s murderer’

President Joe Biden advocated for further police reform on Wednesday in his first address to a joint session of Congress, during which he applauded the verdict in the case of Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis police officer who was found guilty of murdering George Floyd.

Biden said he spoke to the daughter of Floyd, Gianna, and she told him her “daddy changed the world.” The president further remarked that she was likely “right” after the “conviction of George Floyd’s murderer,” though lawmakers must have the “courage to act” on law enforcement reforms circulating through Congress.

Chauvin was found guilty of second-degree murder, third-degree murder, and second-degree manslaughter after he pleaded not guilty to all three counts. Floyd, a 46-year-old black man, died in May 2020 after being arrested on suspicion of using a counterfeit bill. Chauvin, who is white, was seen placing a knee on Floyd’s neck for about nine minutes as Floyd repeatedly said he could not breathe.

“We have all seen the knee of injustice on the neck of black Americans,” Biden said. “Now is our opportunity to make some real progress. The vast majority of men and women wearing the uniform and a badge serve our communities, and they serve them honorably. I know them. I know they want to help meet this moment as well. My fellow Americans, we have to come together.”

He continued: “To rebuild trust between law enforcement and the people they serve. To root out systemic racism in our criminal justice system. And to enact police reform in George Floyd’s name that passed the House already.”

The George Floyd Justice in Policing Act of 2020 cleared the House by a 236-181 vote in late June 2020. The legislation makes it easier to charge law enforcement officers with federal misconduct, authorizes the Justice Department to take the reins on police department investigations, and limits the use of qualified immunity as a defense for officers, as it usually acts as a barrier to prosecution.

The House passed a similar piece of legislation 220-212 in March, the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act of 2021, which has not been taken up by the Senate, controlled by the Democrats via a tiebreaking vote in Vice President Kamala Harris.

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