Biden to host George Floyd’s family on anniversary of his death

According to the Associated Press, "White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Friday the president would mark the anniversary of Floyd's death, but offered no further details on his plans." Biden had previously spoken with Floyd's family after his death and following the controversial Chauvin trial.

On May 25th, 2020, Floyd's death gained national and then worldwide attention. Video of former Minneapolis Police officer Derek Chauvin kneeling on Floyd's neck for over eight minutes circulated around the globe, and sparked mass outrage from the Black Lives Matter movement. Chauvin was charged with "three counts, second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter." On April 20 of this year, he was found guilty on all counts.

Beyond social change, Floyd's death spurred a desire for legislative revision, culminating in the creation of the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act. The act would "ban chokeholds by federal officers and end qualified immunity for law enforcement against civil lawsuits, as well as create national standards for policing in a bid to bolster accountability," according to the Associated Press.

After passing the House of Representatives in March, the act has faced opposition in the Senate chamber from Republicans, many of whom do not want to ban chokeholds, or end qualified immunity.

Biden had stated that he hoped to have the act passed by the one-year anniversary of Floyd's death; however, it appears as though while some iteration of it will eventually pass, it is quite unlikely that the process will be completed by Tuesday.