“The entire world was horrified last year by the brutal killing of George Floyd.  The demonstrations that swept our nation in the aftermath of his death made it clear that, no matter the outcome of this trial, change is necessary, and change is surely coming.  I am relieved that the jury recognized what most Americans have long known to be the case: that it is never acceptable for an officer of the law to treat another person with the kind of malice and indifference to his basic rights and safety.  I hope that this verdict can bring a measure of faith in our system of justice to those whose only experiences with it have been reminders of injustice.

“Today, my thoughts are with the family and community of George Floyd; this verdict cannot bring their loved one back, but it is my hope that it will help bring them closure and that seeing justice served will help ease their pain.  Tomorrow, as one nation with faith in our common cause of justice – and recognizing the basic right of every person to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, which was denied to George Floyd and countless others – we must continue to march forward and create the more just, more equal, and more perfect union we know is possible.  This faith, that our future will be better than our past or our present, must continue to be our guiding north star.   “In March, the House passed the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act to address the bias and misconduct that led to his death and to the unnecessary and unjust deaths of so many others.  I call on the Senate to take action on that bill without delay.  But we can only do so much by legislation alone.  Our nation must reckon with racial bias and with the reality that, even 158 years after President Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, America is still not free from the legacy of slavery, segregation, and institutionalized racism.  Justice, equality, and opportunity are still being denied to Black Americans, and we must all confront this painful truth.”