U.S. President Joe Biden on Tuesday called for the need to pass a police reform bill to bring "real change" in the country in the wake of the killing of George Floyd at the hands of a white police officer a year ago.
The death of the 46-year-old black man triggered massive protests against racism and police brutality across the United States and around the world, with many people horrified by video footage of Floyd gasping for air on the street under the knee of Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin while he was being arrested.
Recalling the words of a daughter of Floyd who said "Daddy changed the world," Biden said in a statement to mark the one-year anniversary of the incident, "He has."
While Chauvin was convicted on murder charges last month, Biden said "real change" will require holding law-enforcement officers accountable for egregious misconduct and building "lasting trust" between police officers and the communities they should serve and protect.
The bill, named the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, has already passed the House of Representatives. It seeks to increase accountability for law enforcement misconduct, limit the unnecessary use of force and restrict the use of chokeholds.
"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," Biden said as he called for action as the country faces "an inflection point."
Earlier in the day, Biden, along with Kamala Harris, the first black female vice president in the United States, met privately with members of Floyd's family at the White House.
Biden took office in January with a pledge to advance racial equity among other issues, after his predecessor Donald Trump deepened division in U.S. society with his controversial tweets and remarks on racism and protests.
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