Floyd’s brother tells Congress to ‘stop the pain’

WASHINGTON — A day after burying George Floyd in Houston, his brother Philonise Floyd told Congress on Wednesday to implement police reforms, end the violence against black Americans and “stop the pain.”

Floyd told the House Judiciary Committee during a Capitol Hill hearing that he never got to say goodbye to his 46-year-old brother, who used his life to try to help and improve the lives of others.

“If his death ends up changing the world for the better, and I think it will, then he died as he lived,” Floyd told lawmakers.

“It is on you to make sure his death is not in vain,” Floyd said in an emotional opening statement to the committee, which held the first hearing into police-reform legislation filed by Democrats.

Nevada Reps. Dina Titus and Steven Horsford, a member of the Congressional Black Caucus, are among the 200 Democratic co-sponsors of the bill.

“It is inspiring to see Philonise Floyd travel to Washington to call for systemic change, but he should not have to bear this burden just a day after he laid his brother to rest,” Titus said. “No family should have to feel the pain that the Floyd family is experiencing right now.”

George Floyd died in Minneapolis under the knee of a police officer, who pinned him to the ground for nearly nine minutes as Floyd pleaded for his mother and complained that he could not breathe. The incident occurred after police responded to a call from a shop owner about a counterfeit $20 bill.

Philonise Floyd told the committee that his brother’s life was taken for just $20.

Other high-profile deaths

The death of Floyd followed the shooting deaths of emergency medical technician Breonna Taylor, 26, while she slept in her apartment in Louisville, Kentucky, and that of Ahmaud Arbery, 25, while jogging in Georgia.

Video of Floyd’s death prompted massive Black Lives Matter protests in cities across the United States, including those in Las Vegas.

Most of the Las Vegas demonstrations against police brutality and social injustice have been peaceful, but initial protests along the Strip and in downtown turned deadly last week. In one encounter, police shot and killed Jorge Gomez, 25, who was armed and wearing body armor outside the federal courthouse. Metropolitan Police Department Officer Shay Mikolanis, 29, remains in critical condition after surgeries for a gunshot wound in the head that he suffered during a demonstration near Circus Circus.

House Republicans on Wednesday used the slogans from the left to criticize congressional Democrats during the hearing on the reform bill.

Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, said the president was correct in seeking to end violence and looting that resulted from the riots and blocked dialogue to move forward.

“Healing not hatred. Justice not chaos,” Jordan said. “The president is right and I appreciate his leadership.”

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., has denounced looters and violence, but told reporters that institutional slavery is an issue. He has called for a federal investigation into Taylor’s death.

GOP leaders in the upper chamber have designated Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., the only African American Republican in the Senate, to lead a group crafting legislation on police practices, a bill expected to differ widely from the Democratic House bill.

Meanwhile the House hearing examined the proposed Democratic legislation to hold police accountable, and eliminate choke holds and no-knock warrants that led to the deaths of Floyd and Taylor.

“I’m here today to ask you to make it stop. Stop the pain,” Philonise Floyd said.

He described the demonstrations as people “of all backgrounds, genders and races” that have come together to demand change.

“Honor them, honor George, and make the necessary changes that make law enforcement the solution and not the problem,” Floyd said.

Contact Gary Martin at gmartin@reviewjournal.com or 202-662-7390. Follow @garymartindc on Twitter.