This archive report was first published on 8 June 2020.
On Monday, June 8, 2020, US Democrats in Congress took a powerful stand against racial injustice by kneeling in silent tribute to George Floyd in the US Congress.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer were joined by two dozen lawmakers in Congress' Emancipation Hall, a historic space named in honor of the slaves who helped erect the US Capitol in the 18th century.
They knelt for eight minutes and 46 seconds to mark the length of time a white police officer pinned his knee on Floyd's neck, an incident that sparked mass protests against racial injustice after his death in Minneapolis on May 25.
The Democrats' bill, known as the "Justice and Policing Act," aims to create "meaningful, structural change that safeguards every American's right to safety and equal justice," according to Pelosi and other senior Democratic leaders.
The legislation seeks to "end police brutality, hold police accountable, improve transparency in policing," and make it easier to prosecute officers and rethink how they are recruited and trained.
However, its chances of passage in the Senate, where Republicans hold the majority, are highly uncertain.
President Donald Trump, who is running for re-election in November, has accused his Democratic rival Joe Biden of seeking to "defund the police" while casting himself as the "law and order" president.
