George Floyd’s family to visit White House on Tuesday

President Biden will host family members of George Floyd on Tuesday to commemorate the first anniversary of his death, a pair of White House sources told The Hill on Friday.

The visit comes as Democrats push Congress to pass some form of police reform, with the White House having advocated for legislation to be passed by the May 25 anniversary of Floyd’s death at the hands of a Minneapolis police officer.

White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Friday that Biden will mark the anniversary next week but declined to offer further specifics.

“On Tuesday, he will mark the anniversary of the death of George Floyd. We’ll have more details on what the plans are for that day soon,” Psaki said at a press briefing. 

Floyd’s death after he was pinned down by his neck for more than nine minutes by former officer Derek Chauvin sparked nationwide protests against police brutality and racism in the criminal justice system.   

It also triggered an avalanche of calls from Democrats for tighter oversight of law enforcement, though momentum behind passing legislation has flagged as bipartisan negotiations have stalled.

Biden is still pushing for Congress to pass the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, which would ban chokeholds by federal officers, end legal protections for law enforcement against civil lawsuits and create national standards for policing, among other things. The legislation passed the House but faces a steep uphill climb in the 50-50 Senate, where it finds virtually unanimous GOP opposition.

“It would be a contribution to rebuilding trust in communities,” Psaki said Friday of the possibility of the bill’s passage. “Obviously, there’s more that needs to be done beyond that; that’s not the only step — far from it.”