HOUSTON — President Joe Biden will welcome members of George Floyd's family to the White House on Tuesday, one year after he died.
Floyd died on May 25, 2020, after former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin kneeled on his neck for more than nine minutes, while Floyd repeatedly said he couldn't breathe. His death sparked months of nationwide protests focused on systemic racism and a renewed debate over police reform in the U.S. Chauvin was convicted last month on multiple charges stemming from Floyd's death.
The meeting will be private. The White House said Biden wants to have a "real conversation" with the family.
Floyd's daughter Gianna, Giana's mother Roxy Washington, sister Bridget Floyd, brother Philaenes Floyd, brother Rodney Floyd, brother Terrance Floyd and nephew Brandon Williams will be there.
Biden's plans to host Floyd's family come, however, as talks focused on the police reform bill named after Floyd — the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act — have stalled on Capitol Hill. Biden had previously set the anniversary of Floyd’s death as the deadline for the bill’s passage and left much of the negotiations up to lawmakers on Capitol Hill, but there’s been little movement on the legislation in recent weeks.
Psaki said Friday that the White House is “in close touch” with the negotiators and “they still feel there’s progress being made,” but they’ve acknowledged it’s “unlikely” they’ll pass a bill by Biden’s deadline.