Political Quotes

“a short time ago, in conjunction with the memorial service being held today in Minnesota for George Floyd, I joined the rest of the Democratic caucus in Emancipation Hall to recognize a moment of silence in honor of his memory as well as the memory of Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Aubery, and the unimaginable number of Black Americans who have had their lives ended in police custody. Standing before the statue of Frederick Douglass, a Black American who fought his whole life for a measure of racial equality, the moment of silence lasted 8 minutes and 46 seconds, the length of time that the White police officer in Minneapolis pressed his knee on George Floyd's neck. Standing there in silence, you feel the horrifying length of George Floyd's final 9 minutes. You cannot help but imagine his horror and fear, knowing that his trauma and the trauma of his family and his friends has been felt by so many Black families and Black communities across the country and across the centuries. Of course, a moment of silence, a moment of solidarity, is no substitute for real action. That is why Senate Democrats are working with our House colleagues on policing reform legislation. That is why we are demanding that the Republican majority leader commit to addressing this issue on the floor of the Senate.…”