George Floyd's brother to Congress: 'Stop the pain'
George Floyd's brother to Congress: 'Stop the pain'
George Floyd's younger brother took his grief to the U.S. Congress on Wednesday with an impassioned plea that lawmakers not let his brother's death be in vain, lamenting that he "didn't deserve to die over $20." This report produced by Yahaira Jacquez.
George Floyd's brother to Congress: 'Stop the pain'
"I'm here to ask you to stop.
Stop the pain." The brother of George Floyd on Wednesday kicked off a congressional hearing on racial injustice and policing with an emotional plea to lawmakers: not to let his brother die in vain.
"George wasn’t hurting anyone that day.
He didn’t deserve to die over $20.
I am asking you, is that what a black man’s life is worth, $20?
This is 2020.
Enough is enough." Philonese Floyd appeared before The House Judiciary Committee in the first congressional hearing since the death of his brother sparked protests around the world.
Floyd - who buried his brother just a day before in Houston - described the anguish he felt watching the video that showed the 46-year-old's death at the hands of police.
"I can't tell you the kind of pain you feel when you watch something like that — when you watch your big brother, who you looked up to your whole entire life, die, die begging for his mom." In the wake of demonstrations after Floyd's death, the Democratic-led House is now moving forward with sweeping police reform legislation while Senate Republicans are scrambling to craft their own plan.
Senator Tim Scott, the Senate's only black Republican, is in charge of leading the party's effort to craft the legislation.
But Wednesday's hearing highlighted the divisions in Congress and the country between those who want sweeping changes to policing practices and those who defend the work of law enforcement.
Meanwhile at the White House, Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany skirted around the question when she was asked if President Donald Trump believes people of color face unfair treatment from police.
"Let's stop vilifying our officers.
Let's recognize injustice where we see it but recognize all of us in here are safe because of our police officers doing their job each and every day." McEnany was also asked about the qualified immunity provisions in the Democrats' bill, which would allow victims of police misconduct and their families to sue law enforcement for damages in civil court.
McEnany said that was a non-starter for the president.
She added that the White House is putting finishing touches on proposals to reform the police and said they could be made public in the "coming days."