House Democrats, led by the Congressional Black Caucus, will present legislation seeking police reform initiatives following the death of George Floyd after being held by the neck under a police officer's knee in Minneapolis. It will also address the "authoritarian" behavior coming from the White House, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Wednesday.
"[Rep. Hakeem] Jeffries has legislation about the choke hold specifically," Pelosi told MSNBC's "Morning Joe." "It includes any kind of use of violence that stops the flow of blood to the brain, to be specific."
Pelosi said there will also be legislation presented to fight the authoritarian tone that has been put on display by President Donald Trump's call for the use of the military to curtail violence in the protests around the country.
"People sometimes think that you mean the Reserves and keeping order," said Pelosi. "I'm all for that."
But as for the use of active military, that is "almost a constitutional question," said Pelosi. "When the president was on the call with the governors, and was saying 'I have the general here, the chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff and he always wins,' that was out of place for the president of the United States ... we have to be very cautious."
She also commented about the violence that has been happening during the nation's protests, calling it "unfortunate" and saying it does not honor Floyd's memory, as his brother has said.
"It has just been so beautiful and so inspiring to all of us to mourn the loss of their loved one," said Pelosi. "It's pivotal in terms of making differences and making the change. And that people all over the world are turning out in his name, but as you said earlier, the issue is larger. It's larger than the one incident because that is not one."
The protests come as an "explosion" of what is out there, including economic and social injustice, and the "disproportionate" way COVID-19 is affecting people of color, said Pelosi.
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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