President Joe Biden proclaimed that 'white supremacist terrorists' are the worst threat to the homeland today, directly before asking Congress to pass the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act by next month.
'By the first anniversary of George Floyd’s death,' the president said at his first joint address before Congress Wednesday night.
The act is currently stuck in the Senate with Sen. Tim Scott, tasked with rebutting Biden tonight for the Republican Party, leading negotiations for the GOP.
President Joe Biden called on Congress to pass the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act by next month, the anniversary of Floyd's death
George Floyd was murdered by officer Derek Chauvin on May 25, 2020
The bill is a police reform package, named for Floyd, a black man who was killed by convicted police officer Derek Chauvin, who is white, on May 25, 2020 - Memorial Day weekend of last year.
Floyd's death, a knee to the neck for around nine minutes, reinvigorated the Black Lives Matter movement and led to protests, and some rioting, around the U.S.
Last year, Scott put forward a package that got the blessing of then President Donald Trump, but Democrats called it a non-starter.
This time around, Sen. Cory Booker is negotiating on behalf of the Democrats.
'I know the Republicans have their own ideas and are engaged in productive discussions with Democrats in the Senate,' Biden said.
But he told his audience, 'Now is our opportunity to make real progress.'
'My fellow Americans, we have to come together. 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,' Biden encouraged.
He recalled meeting Floyd's daughter Gianna while campaigning for president last year.
'She's a little tyke, so I was kneeling down to talk to her. So I could look her in the eye. She said to me, "Daddy changed the world,"' Biden said. 'After the conviction of George Floyd's murderer, we can see how right she was – if we have the courage to act.'
The biggest sticking point deals with qualified immunity, the legal doctrine that makes if difficult for victims to sue government officials if their rights have been infringed.
Scott is proposing that the shield be lifted so police departments can be sued.
Democrats would like the threat of lawsuits be extended to individual officers, hoping that would root out bad cops.
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