In commemoration of the third anniversary of George Floyd’s murder, President Biden urges Congress to enact meaningful police reform to ensure fair and impartial justice for all under the law. He highlights his executive order to apply key elements of the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act to federal law enforcement, including banning chokeholds and establishing a database for police misconduct. While progress has been made, real and lasting change at the state and local levels requires Congress to act. Biden emphasizes the need for equal justice and the importance of honoring the legacies of those lost to police brutality through both changing laws and policies and changing hearts and minds.
As stated by a statement released by President Joe Biden on May 25, 2023, three years after the murder of George Floyd, his daughter Gianna said, “Daddy changed the world.” The President believes that George Floyd’s murder exposed the injustice that Black and Brown communities have long faced and called for a whole of society commitment to ensure that the nation lives up to its founding promise of fair and impartial justice for all under the law.
The injustice that was on display for the world to see sparked one of the largest civil rights movements in generations. Calls from all corners were made to acknowledge and address the challenges in our criminal justice system and institutions more broadly. Last year, Kamala and Joe stood next to George Floyd’s family, civil rights leaders, and law enforcement officials to sign an executive order that applies key elements of the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act to federal law enforcement. The order banned chokeholds, restricted no-knock warrants, established a database for police misconduct, and other measures to advance effective and accountable policing that builds public trust and increases public safety.
The Biden Administration has made significant progress in fulfilling the requirements of the executive order, making policing safer, more equitable, and more effective. However, implementing real and lasting change at the state and local levels requires Congress to act. The President urges Congress to enact meaningful police reform and send it to his desk. He will sign it and continue to do everything in his power to fight for police accountability in Congress, remaining willing to work with Republicans and Democrats alike on genuine solutions.
Equal justice is a covenant we each have with one another. Three years after George Floyd’s murder, let us build on the progress we have made thus far and recommit to the work we must continue to do every day to change hearts and minds as well as laws and policies. As a Nation, we must ensure that George Floyd’s legacy and the legacy of so many others we also honor every day are not solely about their deaths, but what we do to honor their memory.
George Floyd’s murder became a catalyst for a national reckoning on racial justice and police reform. It was a wake-up call for all Americans to confront the systemic racism and policing practices that have led to the unjust deaths of too many Black and Brown people. The President’s statement reaffirms his commitment to the cause and underscores the importance of working together to achieve meaningful change. It is a call to action for Congress to act and for all Americans to continue the work of building a more just and equitable society.
