President Joe Biden used an executive order on Wednesday to circumvent Congress and unilaterally impose police reforms, blaming Republicans who he said had &#8220;stood in the way of progress.&#8221;
&#8220;I&#8217;ve called on Congress to pass the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, but Senate Republicans have stood in the way of progress,&#8221; Biden tweeted. &#8220;That&#8217;s why this afternoon, I&#8217;m taking action and signing an Executive Order that delivers the most significant police reform in decades.&#8221;
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I’ve called on Congress to pass the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, but Senate Republicans have stood in the way of progress. That’s why this afternoon, I’m taking action and signing an Executive Order that delivers the most significant police reform in decades.
&mdash; President Biden (@POTUS) <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS/status/1529528850660610048?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 25, 2022</a></blockquote>
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The White House streamed the event, which included remarks from Vice President Kamala Harris.
Harris began her comments by sharing her concern for the families of those who were grieving after Tuesday&#8217;s tragic shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, and then pivoted — exactly as President Biden had done during his address the night before — to attack the &#8220;gun lobby.&#8221;
&#8220;We must have the courage to stand up to the gun lobby and pass reasonable gun safety laws,&#8221; Harris said before bringing the topic around to the executive order at hand.
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Happening Now: President Biden signs a historic Executive Order to advance effective, accountable policing and strengthen public safety. <a href="https://t.co/mQf2t5DGBt">https://t.co/mQf2t5DGBt</a>
&mdash; The White House (@WhiteHouse) <a href="https://twitter.com/WhiteHouse/status/1529556325662969856?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 25, 2022</a></blockquote>
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Harris went on to outline the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, noting that it had passed the House under Speaker Nancy Pelosi&#8217;s leadership and blaming Republicans in the Senate for failing to vote in favor of the measure.
She went on to clarify that the order was not intended to take the place of legislation, adding that there were still more reforms needed that it did not address.
Biden stepped up to speak after Harris, and again began his remarks with an attack on the gun lobby. He then <a href="https://dailywire.com/news/biden-repeats-debunked-claim-that-americans-cant-buy-a-cannon-you-can-absolutely-buy-a-cannon/">repeated the lie</a> he has told in the past about private ownership of cannons at the time the Second Amendment was written.
&#8220;The Second Amendment is not absolute,&#8221; Biden claimed. &#8220;When it was passed, you couldn&#8217;t own — you couldn&#8217;t own a cannon.&#8221;
Biden touted the move again after he signed the order, detailing some of the provisions that were included. &#8220;I just signed an Executive Order that delivers the most significant police reform in decades. It will increase accountability, ban chokeholds, restrict no-knock entries, and more for federal law enforcement officers — and it incentivizes state and local officers to do the same.&#8221;
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I just signed an Executive Order that delivers the most significant police reform in decades. It will increase accountability, ban chokeholds, restrict no-knock entries, and more for federal law enforcement officers — and it incentivizes state and local officers to do the same.
&mdash; President Biden (@POTUS) <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS/status/1529567016734150657?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 25, 2022</a></blockquote>
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President Biden Signs Executive Order On Accountable Policing & Strengthening Public Safety

Biden Goes Around Congress With Police Reform Executive Order, Blames Republicans

Congress

George Floyd

George Floyd Justice in Policing Act

Joe Biden

Police Reform

On the first anniversary of George Floyd’s death, the Floyd family met in the Oval Office with President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, and other congressional leaders. 
As <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2021/05/25/biden-meets-george-floyds-family-anniversary-murder/5240964001/">reported</a> by USA Today, George Floyd&#8217;s brother Rodney said Biden and Harris gave their condolences.
“They asked us how we were doing,” he said. “Are we taking care of ourselves&#8230; and asked us all about how we&#8217;re feeling and what&#8217;s going on today about our brother. We&#8217;re thankful that they showed great concern.&#8221;
After the meeting at the White House, Floyd’s brother, Philonise, called on Congress to pass laws, saying, &#8220;If you can make federal laws to protect the bird which is the bald eagle, then you can make federal laws to protect people of color.” 
&#8220;We all said enough is enough. We need to be able to set standards, procedures in place,&#8221; Philonise Floyd <a href="https://www.c-span.org/video/?512087-1/speaker-pelosi-representative-bass-meeting-george-floyd-family-members">said</a> at a press conference. &#8220;We need to be working together to make sure that people do not live in fear in America anymore. This is the land of the free, people fight to get here. Give them that opportunity to want to come here, not stay in places where they&#8217;re having trouble&#8230;&#8221;
In a <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2021/05/25/statement-by-president-joe-biden-on-the-first-anniversary-of-george-floyds-murder/">statement</a>, Biden said that Floyd’s “murder launched a summer of protest we hadn’t seen since the Civil Rights era in the ‘60s – protests that peacefully unified people of every race and generation to collectively say enough of the senseless killings.”
He added that the guilty verdict in the George Floyd case “was another important step forward toward justice,” but stated that “our progress can’t stop there.” 
Biden’s statement also referenced the legislation in Congress, saying, “The negotiations on the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act in Congress are ongoing. I have strongly supported the legislation that passed the House, and I appreciate the good-faith efforts from Democrats and Republicans to pass a meaningful bill out of the Senate. It’s my hope they will get a bill to my desk quickly.”
Vice President Kamala Harris also released a <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2021/05/25/statement-by-vice-president-kamala-harris-on-meeting-with-the-family-of-george-floyd/">statement</a>, saying that the video recording of the encounter between George Floyd and former Minneapolis Police officer Derek Chauvin “revealed to the country what Black Americans have known to be true for generations.” 
On April 20, a jury <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-jury-finds-derek-chauvin-guilty">found</a> Chauvin guilty of second-degree murder, third-degree murder, and second-degree manslaughter in relation to the death of Floyd.
As The Daily Wire <a href="http://On%20April%2020,%20a%20jury%20found%20Chauvin%20guilty%20of%20second-degree%20murder,%20third-degree%20murder,%20and%20second-degree%20manslaughter%20in%20relation%20to%20the%20death%20of%20Floyd.">reported</a>, on May 25, 2020, Chauvin and three other officers arrested and detained Floyd after he allegedly gave counterfeit money at a convenience store. Following a struggle to get Floyd into the back of a police cruiser, viral video shows that Chauvin knelt on Floyd’s neck and back for nearly nine minutes to detain Floyd while awaiting paramedics.
In her statement, Harris said that the guilty verdict in the case “provided some measure of justice. But one verdict does not address the persistent issue of police misconduct and use of excessive force.” She also called on Congress to “move swiftly and act with a sense of urgency.”
During his address to a joint session of Congress last month, Biden had pushed Congress to pass the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act by the one-year anniversary of Floyd’s death. Congressional sources, however, &#8220;told Politico that the White House does not expect that the police reform bill will pass anytime soon and that they are waiting on a bipartisan &#8216;compromise&#8217; agreement,&#8221; per <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/biden-to-host-george-floyds-family-at-white-house-on-anniversary-of-his-death">The Daily Wire</a>.
Last summer, Senator Tim Scott (R-SC) led a police reform bill that was ultimately blocked by Democrats. 
As The Daily Wire <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/democrats-block-republican-police-reform-bill-kill-hope-of-passing-legislation-amid-protests">reported</a> at the time, it “failed before its text ever made it to the floor. Democrats were able to marshal their caucus to defeat a vote designed to bring the issue to the floor for debate and killed the bill 55-45. A total of 60 votes would have been necessary to move the bill forward.” 
The Daily Wire reported: 
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Democrats fought the Republican bill, led by Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC), which they said did not go far enough in addressing critical issues at the crux of police reform. The bill did not ban the use of chokeholds outright, preferring instead to warn departments to craft their own policies against the practice or risk losing federal funds. The bill also shied away from outlawing so-called “no-knock” warrants, preferring instead to establish a national database to track those warrants’ use and abuse.
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In late April, Detroit’s Police Chief, James Craig, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/watch-this-will-decimate-policing-as-we-know-it-detroit-police-chief-tears-into-george-floyd-justice-in-policing-act">ripped into</a> the <a href="https://judiciary.house.gov/issues/issue/?IssueID=14924">George Floyd Justice in Policing Act</a> and its intent to eliminate qualified immunity for law enforcement, snapping, “This will decimate policing as we know it. This is a veiled attempt, I think, at dismantling policing.”

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George Floyd Family Pushes Congressional Police Reform At White House

A coalition of top NBA players and executives are throwing their clout behind the Democrat-backed George Floyd Justice in Policing Act.
The group, called the National Basketball Social Justice Coalition (NBSJC), released a statement Tuesday, which marked one year since the death of George Floyd, backing the police reform bill passed in a nearly party-line vote in March. Two Democrats, Reps. Jared Golden (ME) and Ron Kind (WI), joined Republicans in voting against the legislation.
The NBSJC <a href="https://www.nba.com/news/national-basketball-social-justice-coalition-statement-on-policing-reform-legislation">statement</a> says:
<blockquote>Almost exactly one year ago, George Floyd was murdered by a police officer in Minneapolis. Like millions around the world, NBA players, coaches, governors, officials, and staff throughout our organizations were outraged to see the horrifying and unlawful actions of the officer who pinned Mr. Floyd’s neck to the ground under his knee for 9 minutes. Mr. Floyd’s death added new fuel to the protests, marches, and urgent calls for racial justice and reform locally and nationally.
Today, as this painful anniversary approaches, we have an opportunity to honor the memory of Mr. Floyd and others who have been victims of police brutality in this country by passing the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act. Systemic problems demand systemic solutions. And, because police actions are governed by a diverse array of state laws and local policies, the Floyd Act takes unprecedented strides towards consistency—reforming at a federal level the practices that failed its namesake.
The bill already passed with a bipartisan vote in the U.S. House of Representatives and is now pending in the Senate where we hope it will have similar bipartisan support as it should and must. As Board Members of the National Basketball Social Justice Coalition, representing the NBA, the Players Association, the Coaches Association, league staff, and teams in every region of the country, we are calling on our elected representatives of both parties to work together to pass the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act in the U.S. Senate now and present it to President Biden for him to sign into law this year.
As members of the NBA family, we will continue to use our influence to support common-sense policy reform in our communities across the nation so that equal justice is afforded to all.</blockquote>
The NBSJC mistakenly claim the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act received bipartisan support in the House. While Republican Rep. Lance Gooden (TX) voted for the act along with almost every other Democrat, he later <a href="https://twitter.com/Lancegooden/status/1367311137285541894">switched</a> his vote saying he accidently hit the wrong button. No other Republican supported the legislation.
The NBSJC includes many of the most prominent names in the NBA. According to <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/31506025/one-year-george-floyd-murder-nba-social-justice-coalition-urges-passage-policing-reform-bill">ESPN</a>:
<blockquote>Among the members of the coalition are players Carmelo Anthony, Avery Bradley, Sterling Brown, Donovan Mitchell and Karl-Anthony Towns, as well as multiple team owners, including Micky Arison, Steve Ballmer, Clay Bennett, Marc Lasry and Vivek Ranadive. Philadelphia 76ers coach Doc Rivers and former NBA coach Lloyd Pierce are also part of the coalition, as are NBA commissioner Adam Silver, NBPA executive director Michele Roberts and NBA deputy commissioner Mark Tatum.</blockquote>
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/watch-this-will-decimate-policing-as-we-know-it-detroit-police-chief-tears-into-george-floyd-justice-in-policing-act">WATCH: ‘This Will Decimate Policing As We Know It’: Detroit Police Chief Tears Into George Floyd Justice In Policing Act</a>

Carmelo Anthony

NBA ‘Social Justice Coalition’ Pushes House Democrats’ ‘George Floyd Justice In Policing Act’

President Joe Biden will host George Floyd&#8217;s family at the White House this week to mark a year since Floyd was killed while in the custody of the Minneapolis Police Department, sparking the national anti-racism and anti-police brutality movement.
Biden will not, however, meet his stated deadline for passing the Geroge Floyd Justice in Policing Act by May 25th, amid concerns that the existing draft measure does not have &#8220;teeth.&#8221;
&#8220;President Joe Biden will host George Floyd’s family at the White House on Tuesday,&#8221; <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2021/05/19/president-biden-and-vp-harris-release-2020-tax-returns-what-we-learned.html">CNBC reported Sunday</a>. &#8220;The visit marks the one-year anniversary of Floyd’s death, which triggered international protests against police brutality and racism in the criminal justice system.&#8221;
Biden has been communicating with the Floyd family for some time, speaking with the family both before and after a verdict came down in the trial of Derek Chauvin, who was charged with murdering Floyd when he knelt on Floyd&#8217;s neck for nine minutes during an arrest last May. Chauvin was eventually convicted on three charges: second-degree murder, third-degree murder, and manslaughter. He is awaiting sentencing and is expected to serve at least 12 years in prison.
The president had pledged, during his special address to a joint session of Congress last month, that the Senate would pass the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act by the one-year anniversary of Floyd&#8217;s death, but Congressional sources told Politico that the White House does not expect that the police reform bill will pass anytime soon and that they are waiting on a bipartisan &#8220;compromise&#8221; agreement.
&#8220;[A]fter calling Congress to task, the White House has taken a largely deferential approach to the negotiations. Senior staff have been in frequent contact with Hill negotiators but are also giving lawmakers space as they work out a compromise on the major piece of legislation named after Floyd,&#8221; <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2021/05/22/biden-floyd-police-reform-deadline-490206">Politico noted Sunday</a>. &#8220;No major red lines have been set. Nor have they stressed obedience to the timeline that the president himself touted.&#8221;
Racial justice advocates, including Rev. Al Sharpton, told Politico that they are fine with the delay if it means the eventual bill will have &#8220;teeth.&#8221;
“My concern is, and I&#8217;ve communicated this to the White House, is that we come with a toothless bill to meet a hard deadline,” Sharpton told the outlet. “I&#8217;d rather have a bill with teeth late than a toothless bill on time.”
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki also defended the White House&#8217;s delay on the bill, telling reporters that the bipartisan compromise bill will mean a more effective measure.
“We are not going to slow our efforts to get this done, but we can also be transparent about the fact that it’s going to take a little bit more time,” Psaki said during a press conference Friday. “The president wants to sign it into law as quickly as possible.”
The delay may seem acceptable to the White House because it appears to stem from a disagreement between Democrats and not just between Democrats and Republicans. Some Democrats (and many Republicans) have bristled at the concept of ending qualified immunity for police officers, leaving them open to civil suits for rights violations.

People lay flowers at a memorial in George Floyd Square

Biden To Host George Floyd’s Family At White House On Anniversary Of His Death

Detroit’s Police Chief, James Craig, ripped into the <a href="https://judiciary.house.gov/issues/issue/?IssueID=14924">George Floyd Justice in Policing Act</a> and its intent to eliminate qualified immunity for law enforcement, snapping, “This will decimate policing as we know it. This is a veiled attempt, I think, at dismantling policing.”
Craig was interviewed by Newsmax’s Rachel Rollar, who spoke of the Department of Justice’s sudden investigations into police departments across the country, notably Minneapolis and Louisville, and asked Craig, “What changes do you expect to be made?”
“Well, let me just say this,” Craig responded. “My experience is vast; I served in the LAPD when we were under federal oversight; I served as the chief in both Portland, Maine, and Cincinnati, and Cincinnati had been under federal oversight. And then when I got rehired here as the chief in Detroit, we were in roughly a 12 to 13-year consent judgment.”
“So, two things: I think for the new chief coming in, and if DOJ finds there is a pattern and practice of excessive force, those issues can certainly be addressed under federal oversight,” he continued. “However: a word of caution: how it’s managed is key. When I look at Oakland, California, which has right now the longest-running federal oversight consent judgment— absolute failure. They’ve had chief after chief come in and out; they have a monitor there who, ironically, was the same monitor in Detroit when I arrived there. I told that monitor, I said, ‘It will be my goal to put you out of business here in the city of Detroit.’  He is still in Oakland; they have not succeeded, and so that’s a problem. So, how the federal oversight is managed is key.”
Rollar then segued to the George Floyd bill, asking if it would be passed as well.
“You know, I’ve got to tell you where I have a real problem: the whole issue of qualified immunity,” Craig answered. “That is a deal-breaker. (GOP South Carolina Senator) Tim Scott, what he put on the table was appropriate; it was a balancing act. We know how important it is that police officers who engage in criminal misconduct should be held accountable. That would be the exemption. But when you talk about civil lawsuits, this will decimate policing as we know it. This is a veiled attempt, I think, at dismantling policing because here’s what I know, all the way from my seat down: who’s going to want to serve in law enforcement when there’s no protection. I’ve talked to my colleagues in other cities; look at what’s happening in New York right now; retirements and resignation rates have skyrocketed.”
“So this vocal minority is not speaking for people who live in vulnerable communities,” he commented. “That’s what the problem is today with everything that’s going on; they’re voiceless.  These folks want good, effective, constitutional policing. The vast majority of the men and women who serve each and every day do it right, and the profession shouldn’t be painted with a broad brush.”
He concluded, “But if they remove qualified immunity, there’s going to be a mass exodus and policing will look like it looks now. They’re already trying to take traffic stops away. Knee-jerk reactions. So, ‘let’s not stop anybody anymore.’ The mayor of Brooklyn Center said, ‘Well, if they must stop someone let’s use police officers that are not armed.’ There’s no such thing as a ‘routine traffic stop.’”
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Detroit&#39;s Police Chief reacts to what he&#39;s seeing happen to law enforcement departments across the country: <a href="https://t.co/XtIrKtj7G7">https://t.co/XtIrKtj7G7</a>
&mdash; Newsmax (@newsmax) <a href="https://twitter.com/newsmax/status/1387411287785738241?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 28, 2021</a></blockquote>
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George Floyd Justice in Policing Act

Biden Goes Around Congress With Police Reform Executive Order, Blames Republicans

George Floyd Family Pushes Congressional Police Reform At White House

NBA ‘Social Justice Coalition’ Pushes House Democrats’ ‘George Floyd Justice In Policing Act’

Biden To Host George Floyd’s Family At White House On Anniversary Of His Death

WATCH: ‘This Will Decimate Policing As We Know It’: Detroit Police Chief Tears Into George Floyd Justice In Policing Act